Collide
by I'llbeyourhero
Summary: When teen star Rachel Berry moves to Lima Ohio a small town girl, who's a little broken, catches her attention and captures her heart.
1. Prologue

_**Title: **_Collide

_**Author: **_I'llbeyourhero & dramageek818

_**Rating: **_Mature Content due to later chapters

_**Summary: **_When teen star Rachel Berry moves to Lima, Ohio a small town girl, who's a little broken catches her attention and captures her heart.

_**Note:**_ It's been a while, hello :) Let me start by saying I missed Fanfiction also this is collaboration piece that I wrote with dramageek818. This prologue is a little long, to set everything up but hopefully you will enjoy it, and will want to continue reading to see where the story ends up. Also I added some fictional features if you will, to Twitter in the story :) Enjoy!

* * *

_**Prologue**_

Rachel took in a deep breath as she leaned back in her comfortable chair in the studio. Her chocolate tired eyes shifted up towards the ceiling and she took in a deep breath enjoying the short break she was given. Being a star was difficult at times, especially when she was creating the projects that delivered said stardom. The last time she had recorded an album was a year ago when she was 15 now she was 16 and unlike most people her age who were enjoying the summer before their junior year of high school with parties, friends, romantic interests and even lovers she was cooped up in a studio feeling a little lonely.

Over the years she didn't just focus on music, she was a part of the film industry as well just like her mother. Shelby had been a huge Broadway star when she was young and when she was in her early twenties she and her boyfriend Hiram welcomed a baby girl. Unfortunately for Rachel she experienced a rough parental separation. When she was two her father moved out due to his discovery of his sexual orientation, at that age she didn't understand where her dad was or what was happening. Soon after the split Hiram had settled down with a nice man, Leroy. After Hiram had left, Shelby was quick to pick up a role in a television series and they had relocated to California where they had been living ever since. Her fathers' both remained in New York, which proved to be difficult for the bubbly brunette. Growing up she had always been happy that her dad was happy but occasionally she had wished that her dads and her mom could just all live together. She had lost track of how many times she flew back and forth from California to New York, just to be passed around between her parents.

In the middle of all that family tension was her career, when she was really young she stuck to small guest appearances on television shows and commercial gigs. When she was 8 she landed her first recurring role on a television series for two seasons and when she was 10 she landed a main role in a movie playing the daughter of a famous A-list actor. That had been followed by many other movies and when she was 12 the diva got discovered by a record company and was quickly signed. Her first album was released when she was 13 and since then her music career had been a huge success.

The brunette found it hard to remember a day when she wasn't famous or in the public eye. Even though her career was small when she was younger she was still Shelby's daughter, which meant she received fame regardless. Even if she was a normal teenager in high school, in a small house with friends who were not famous, she'd still be in the bright lights of fame.

The brunette sucked in a deep breath and reached into her pocket for her phone. She decided that she could use a little breather, with the company of her fans.

**Rachel Berry** OfficialRachelBerry  
_Time for a quick Q & A before I have to return back to recording :)_

The brunette scanned some of the questions that began to pour in; since she had millions of followers it was expected. She still had some trouble comprehending the amount of followers she had and how fast they all responded to one single tweet in the matter of seconds. She replied to a few of the questions which were simple; like what her favorite food was or her choice of book at the moment. One person had even asked her how her time in the studio was going, which she answered with an honest 'I'm working hard...or is it hardly working ;)'. Her eyes scanned a few more questions, and as she was about to click on someones to answer, the tweet underneath theirs caught her attention.

**Q** Skysplits  
_ OfficialRachelBerry The only person who doesn't know that I'm gay is my mom, any advice on coming out to her?_

Those questions were quite common for her seen as she was out and proud but there was something different about this one; she just couldn't put her finger on it.

**Rachel Berry** OfficialRachelBerry  
_ Skysplits check your direct messages :)_

The brunette smiled softly and clicked on the girl's name. She had been one of the only fans who hadn't sent the tweet multiple times to gain her attention; it was a little refreshing. She clicked on the message button and decided it'd be best to keep her response private and it had an added bonus of no word limit.

_** OfficialRachelBerry:**_ _The best advice I have is simply to be very honest with her and let her know that it's who you are and you can't change it. I'll be honest, she may not react well but just remind her that you being gay doesn't change who you are; it only changes what she knows about you. I don't know if this helps but that's truly all you can do. I hope you'll let me know how it goes when you tell her.  
_  
The diva exited out of the direct messages and made her way back to the fan's profile. She took in a deep breath as she looked it over. The first thing that caught her eye was the profile picture. It may have been small at first glance but her curiosity took over and she clicked on it, enlarging it. The mysterious girl was sitting on a beach, staring at a sunset and wearing a blue bikini. Her face was hidden in the photo because her back was facing the camera and blonde hair flowed past her shoulders and rested against her back. Rachel suddenly wished that she could see what the girl looked like because as she stared at the photo excitement stirred in her gut and she had no idea why. A part of her always wondered if she got excited at the prospect of meeting new people because she didn't have many real friends. All her friends were famous and the only true friends she ever had was Sean, a boy she grew up with and Kurt. Kurt, even though he was the same age as her became her main stylist and already branched into fashion on the side. He had his own label called Hummel fashions and although Rachel disliked it when people rode someone's coattails into fame, she had brought Kurt into the world of it but she also knew he was a talented designer. Once he became her junior stylist at the age of 13-because even then his fashion knowledge was outstanding-his career path was set. When he turned 16, he wasn't just the assistant to her main stylist anymore; he took over completely. His age be damned, he always knew what he was doing. She continued to look at the photo, wishing she had down to earth friends who weren't just in the business. The last time she attempted that however, they only used her for fifteen minutes of fame and then were quick to ditch her.

The more Rachel studied the photo, the more she could tell that the girl was gorgeous, without even seeing her face. The diva exited the large view of the picture and went back to the girl's profile. She briefly glanced at the number of followers the girl had, which was a lot for someone who wasn't famous and she wondered if the girl was well liked or maybe even popular where she lived. The pop star shifted her attention and took in the girl's biography.

_'16 Year Old Cheerleader, Just trying to find her place in this world.'_

Rachel smiled softly at the girl's words. There was something about them; they were so simple yet unique. Rachel felt a pull towards the sentence and she knew 'just trying to find a place in this world' was a popular expression but in the moment it felt like she had never heard it before. In a snap decision the diva followed the mysterious girl in return.

"Ready to get back to work?" Her producer said as she entered the room. "The album has a deadline and it won't record itself."

"Uh yeah." Rachel said, she released a sigh as she turned her phone on silent and shoved it in her purse.

...

Rachel rubbed her tired eyes as she rested in bed. They felt raw and sore from being up at five in the morning until midnight. The brunette glanced at the clock and sighed, her body was drained along with her mind and all she wanted to do was curl up and sleep but falling asleep was challenging as of late. Although she was exhausted her mind didn't want to shut off enough to close her eyes and drift off into a pleasant sleep. The diva turned onto her side and pulled the covers over her, allowing the warmth to fill her and comfort her; despite the hot weather of L.A.. A groan filled her throat, releasing from her lips effortlessly as her phone chimed signalling she had a message. Rachel stared at it as it rested on her nightstand and she contemplated ignoring it and just as she was about to shift onto her other side to do just that, it chimed once again.

She rolled her eyes, reached for the device and glared at the screen as she realized that Kurt was responsible for her late night message. The diva quickly responded and noticed that the other notification was caused by the fact that she had an email. Her tired eyes scanned over her emails and she noticed that she had a message on twitter.

_** Skysplits:**_ _Thank you Rachel Berry ;) I'll take your advice into consideration._

The message was short and simple but there was something about it that had her lips shifting into an upward position.

** OfficialRachelBerry:** _You're very welcome, hopefully the advice will help. Good luck in coming out to her, I wish you the best and hope the process isn't too gut wrenching._

It didn't take long for a bubble in her messages to pop up, with a quick response from her mysterious fan.

** Skysplits:** _I'm sure it will be worse than gut wrenching, but it's time for it to happen. I'll make sure to tell you how it goes, since you asked so nicely ;) Talk to you soon :)  
_

_..._

Rachel was at home eating dinner when she loaded up twitter, hoping she'd have a message. Instead she only had an empty message box. Shelby glanced at her with a raised eyebrow; the older woman wasn't fond of texting or using phones at the dinner table, unless it was business. She viewed it as family time, which they didn't get much of with their very different schedules. Sometimes they didn't even eat dinner together but when they did, Shelby had her rules.

"You've been checking that thing constantly lately," her mother said, curious as to what could be so important. "Are you waiting to hear about something important?"

"Actually yes," Rachel said softly as she pushed her potatoes around on her plate. "I did a Q & A on twitter about a week ago and I met a really sweet fan." She treaded lightly, although Shelby was mellow and down to earth she was iffy when it came to befriending fans or someone who could potentially use her for her money and fame. It had happened before after all.

"Technically you did not meet this fan, it was an interaction over a social network site and this person could be a fifty year old pervert for all you know." Shelby said with a raised eyebrow.

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Mom I highly doubt that and she seems...genuine...but that is beside the point. I was just going to say that she had asked me for some advice on coming out to her mother and when I responded I had asked her to keep me informed on how it goes; she told me she'd let me know so I'm just waiting to hear from her. That is all."

"Well you don't have to check so much. I'm sure you'll be notified when she messages you." Shelby said, glancing at her daughter. "Also you should be careful with who you talk to Rachel, how many times do I have to tell you that?"

"I am being careful mom, trust me. I enjoy helping my fans and getting to know them a little bit."

"Yes but there is a fine line between getting to know them a little bit and getting to know them too much." Rachel rolled her eyes and sighed. "Also Rachel, put the phone away." Shelby added, causing Rachel to sigh yet again.

"Why," Rachel whined, "You have your phone out."

"Because we barely get any family time as is, also my phone is out because I was talking to my agent before we started eating." Shelby glanced at the device which was sitting on the table close by her plate. "The difference though is that I'm not using mine at the dinner table."

"Neither am I," Rachel said before taking a bite of her dinner, "I'm just checking to see if she messaged me. It's not like I was tweeting."

"I'm not going to have this argument with you Rachel." Her mother released a deep breath clearly exasperated and as they sat there, dropping the subject, silence began to surround them. They were close, mainly because they worked in the same business, shared the same agent for their film career and were in the lime light together. It also helped that Shelby was Rachel's manager. The diva felt comfortable talking to her mom about anything but lately due to the stress of finishing her album and Shelby's stress about making a deal with a movie that's suppose to start shooting next year, they weren't the nicest people to one another.

Rachel rolled her eyes and put her phone back in her pocket, "There happy now?"

Shelby nodded, "Yes," The older brunette took in a deep breath and sat her fork down on the table. "How are you holding up sweetie?"

Rachel stiffened and looked down at her plate, "Fine."

"Are you sure? You really liked Dawn and I know having the media all over your break-up hasn't been easy..."

"I loved Dawn..." Rachel swallowed thickly, "But yeah I'm fine."

Shelby took in a deep breath, "I thought you told me you weren't in love with her?" the older brunette knew she was treading on thin ice but since her daughters break-up Rachel had been a little closed off from her. She was sure it didn't help that the whole world knew that her daughter had been cheated on and caught her girlfriend in the act.

"I lied..." Rachel whispered.

Shelby sighed heavily, "Well I just want to make sure you're okay but if it's any consolation I never liked that girl."

"That doesn't exactly help mom." Rachel sighed and pushed her plate away, "May I be excused? I'm suddenly not very hungry."

Shelby nodded, "I'm sorry for bringing it up I just-"

"Please just stop talking about it." The singer said as she pushed out her chair and stood up before heading towards the stairs to go up to her room.

Shelby sighed before pushing her own plate away and following her daughter, "I just want to know what's going on sweetheart."

"Nothing, I'm fine." Rachel said as she hurried up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door shut.

"Obviously not." Shelby said as she leaned against the wall beside her daughter's bedroom.

"Go away!"

Shelby sighed again, "Maybe we should postpone the record and tour. It might be better if you went to go stay with your dads for a while or maybe your grandparents."

"No, I want to do this record..." Rachel took in a deep breath and slowly opened her door, "I need to do this record."

"Then check the attitude," Shelby said softly while pulling her daughter into a hug, "Sweetie, I know being cheated on feels horrible, especially when you love the one that cheated but you can't push me out because of it."

"I know I just..." Rachel took in a deep breath, "I may only be sixteen but I want that passionate love story. I want to be able to look at someone and feel like they're the prettiest girl in the world. I want to feel the pull as if we're magnets and I can't help but shift towards her. I want a girl to make my heart race and my palms sweat. I want the feeling of not being able to breathe or sleep when they aren't there. I want to find someone who's perfect for me who lets me love them and loves me in return." Rachel took in a deep breath, "I was in love with Dawn she's my first love but I knew she wasn't the one I'd spend my life with but that didn't make it hurt any less when she cheated on me. At this rate, I'll never find that special person who makes me weak in the knees with just one look and makes me turn into a puddle with just one kiss." Rachel held back tears which were pricking at her eyes, "She was the closest thing I had to that...and what sucks the most is I actually miss her. I-" Rachel swallowed thickly, "I should want to hate her but I can't."

Shelby rubbed her daughters back and took in a deep breath, "Sweetie you're right you're only sixteen, which means you are young. Don't rush that feeling; it will come when you meet the right person. I know despite how young you are you've always been a romantic. You wear your heart on your sleeve and you've always believed in love being a fairytale but be patient, you'll find the right person."

"What if I don't?" Rachel whispered weakly.

Shelby pulled away from the hug that she had consoled her daughter with and looked into the diva's wet eyes, "You will, just give it time. You'll meet someone who will love you for you, and won't hurt you the way Dawn did."

"How can you be so sure?" Rachel choked out.

"Because I am." Shelby shifted some of Rachel's hair out of her face and smiled softly at her, "Just don't stress too much about falling in love."

"Mom..." Rachel whispered weakly, "How did you get over Daddy?"

Shelby took in a deep breath, "Well one I'm pretty certain you and Dawn aren't like your father and I," Rachel's expression hardened and she sighed, "It just happened with time."

"But how?"

"I coped with the fact that he was gay and then I looked back on my past and realized I should have known. After I blamed myself and realized that it wasn't my fault, I slowly allowed myself to heal."

Rachel opened her mouth for a moment before quickly closing it and nodding, "Ok." she mumbled before walking back into her room.

"If you need anything..." Shelby said softly, allowing her sentence to trail off.

"I know... I can come talk to you." Rachel whispered as she flopped back onto her bed.

Shelby nodded, "Before I let you have some time by yourself, is there anything else you want to talk about?"

"N-no." Rachel quickly answered before shifting so that her back was to her mother.

"Are you sure?"

Rachel bit her bottom lip, "I just...," Rachel began before shaking her head. "Yeah I'm sure."

Shelby raised an eyebrow and walked over to her daughter. "Rachel, it's okay to talk to me." the woman sat down on the edge of Rachel's bed and glanced at the girl with concerned eyes.

Rachel swallowed thickly and shifted so that she was sitting next to her mom, "Dawn cheating is my fault..."

Shelby furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and began to rub her daughter's back again. "I highly doubt it but why would you think that?"

"She only cheated because I wouldn't put out..." Rachel whispered quietly; hoping her mother wouldn't hear it.

"Then she wasn't worth it. You deserve someone who will wait until you're ready." Shelby said softly as she rubbed circles on the divas back, hoping she would calm down.

"I just..." Rachel curled into her mother's side, "Y-You've always told me that I should respect my body and not just give my virginity away to just anyone." The diva took in a deep shaky breath, "I want my first time to be special and she wanted me to just give it to her like it didn't matter. Like it wasn't a big deal."

"Then I'm glad you didn't, you need to be ready for something like that both physically and emotionally."

Rachel nodded a little and leaned into her mom some more, "I don't want to regret my first time... it's not like trying to make cookies where if you mess up the recipe you can start over from scratch, once you give your virginity to someone that's it. You can't ever have that experience again..." Rachel whispered, "You know?"

Shelby nodded, "I know Rachel and when you find the right girl you'll know."

Rachel sighed, "I hope I find her someday."

"You will sweetie," Shelby glanced at the alarm clock sitting on Rachel's nightstand and noticed that it wasn't too late but the diva was exhausted. "You should get to bed early tonight you've been working hard lately."

The celebrity's eyes slowly closed for a moment and she released a heavy breath, "I'm not tired..." she mumbled.

"I beg to differ, get some sleep sweetie." Shelby said softly as she kissed the top of her daughter's head. She let go of the teenager and slowly got up, sending her a small smile. "Everything will get better, it just takes time."

Rachel groaned and released a heavy sigh, "Hopefully..." Her eyes were heavy as she looked up at her mom and it was obvious that she was going to just fall over and pass out into a world of dreams any minute.

As Shelby walked out of the room after giving her another hug, Rachel quickly changed and then got back into bed. She shifted around in her bed and scurried underneath the blankets, letting the warmth consume her. The diva released a deep breath and a yawn quickly followed. The lack of sleep was finally taking control and she was losing the battle it was attempting to start. As she rested, her eyes slowly closed and she soon allowed herself to drift off into a much needed nap.

...

The diva glanced at the time on the stove as she reached into the cupboard for a glass. It was midnight and she groaned, realizing she had slept a fair amount but would most likely have trouble falling asleep again. She hated having naps for that reason, the fact that she'd fall asleep to early, sleep later than intended and then not be able to have a good night's sleep. The brunette filled her cup with water from the cooler and sat it on the table, usually she'd bring it up to her room but her stomach was begging for a midnight snack and who was she to reject it's request. The diva opened the fridge and pulled out a container of chocolate brownies, which were only in there due to her mother's fondness of the taste of cold chocolate. A couple years ago, Rachel wouldn't have even ate regular chocolate due to the dairy that's in it but with time she shifted from a vegan to a vegetarian. It was hard to keep up her nutrition while she was swamped with work and only eating vegan food, which was hard to find to begin with. However when changing her dietary preferences she refused to consume meat, so settled for dairy and eggs.

She opened the container of sweets, that she knew Shelby had their chef cook. Both Shelby and Rachel enjoyed nursing their sweet tooth, The older woman usually brought them to work and snuck them into her dressing room or trailer where as Rachel didn't mind sneaking downstairs in the middle of the night for a midnight snack to nurse it. She did it quite often due to the messed up hours she slept. The actress sat the container on the table and pulled out a chair; it didn't take long for her to start mindlessly eating away at the chocolaty treats. As she sat there in the quiet house, she reached for her phone which she had grabbed off of her nightstand before going downstairs; she hadn't checked it since before her nap and she wasn't sure if she missed an important message but at the moment all she wanted to do was occupy her tired mind with a round or two of Angry Birds.

She looked for the game on her iPhone and realized that she had an email, according to the mail app. She took in a deep breath and clicked on it, waiting for her messages to load. She released a yawn as she looked over her unread messages, her eyes lit up as she realized she had a email from twitter explaining that she had a message waiting for her. She bit her bottom lip softly as she closed her email, forgetting the other messages waiting for her and opened her twitter app. It didn't take her long to open up her direct messages and she smiled softly as she began to read the message that Skysplits left for her.

_** Skysplits**__: Hey Rachel, I did tell you I'd inform you how it went so here goes nothing. It went surprising well; she didn't seem upset in fact she thanked me for being honest with her and reassured me that she still loved me and always would no matter what. I also have a feeling she already knew, it didn't seem to shock her, that and she told me that when I was seven I had a crush on my female teacher and that should have been her first clue. It's pretty funny actually when I think about it. Anyway, thank you for the advice. To be honest I'm shocked you even took the time to talk to me but I appreciate it.  
_  
Rachel rubbed her tired eyes and was finding it hard to wipe the smile that had grown throughout the message off of her face.

_** OfficialRachelBerry**__: Well I am glad that she took it well. It's always better when they do, it's less pain and heartbreak. Also, the crush on the teacher is quite comical. I myself remember having a crush on my teenage neighbour when I was eight. I thought she was the most amazing person in the world. Apparently despite the fact that I had dated guys my mom always knew, has since that crush took place. It took me a little longer than her to realize it, but look at me now haha. Anyway, I am rambling on about myself which wasn't the point of this conversation, I just wanted to tell you that I'm happy she handled it well and that I always try to make time for my fans. I also know how hard it is to come out; it can be quite frightening so I thought I'd pass on some of my wisdom ;)._

_..._

Rachel finally got a day off from her busy recording schedule and press in regards to her upcoming album, which would drop in November and would follow with a tour. It felt nice for the brunette to stay in New Port and not have to drive to L.A., it also felt nice that she was able to just relax and do as she wished for the day. The diva giggled as her golden retriever Shadow attempted to jump up and into her arms. For a big dog he thought he was small and he didn't seem to comprehend the fact that he wasn't a puppy anymore.

"Down boy." She said softly and he obeyed with a whine.

The brunette glanced at the water as it made soft waves up to the shore of the beach and she smiled softly at the sight. The sand sunk between her toes as she walked along the beach. Her house wasn't far from it, there was a small path which connected their backyard to a part of the beach. It was their private section seen as it was part of their property. It was nice for the two women to have their privacy but at the same time the no trespassing sign was suffocating; then again so was the neighbourhood gate. There weren't many people who lived on Rachel's street; her mother's house took up a lot of space and so did the neighbour beside them. Two big mansions' and their side was full. Kurt lived in a small house on the opposite side of the street with his father, beside another decent sized house. The streets were small in New Port California, where she resided.

Before people could get onto the street there was a gate they needed to enter, for security reasons due to the wealth in the neighbourhood. It always felt too confined for her liking. She appreciated the lack of paparazzi and press but it created large sums of loneliness.

The brunette shifted, getting closer to the shore line. The cold, gentle water glided onto her feet and she shifted her toes a little bit so the water could wash away the sand. Shadow barked, catching the brunette's attention and a giggle erupted from deep within her as she noticed her dog jumping around in the shallow water.

When the brunette found the perfect spot to relax, she lowered herself onto the sand not caring if it wound up sticking to her shorts or gripping onto her legs. The diva took a deep breath as the water rolled up to the shore line and danced around her toes, tickling them a little bit. She wasn't exactly prepared for Shadow to come running up to her and shake his fur about; flying the water all over her.

"Shadow." The girl mumbled and wiped off her face the best she could with her shirt. The retriever looked at her with innocent eyes before laying down in the sand beside her. She released a sigh because she knew the sand would stick to his fur and she'd have to battle with him through the bathing process when they returned home.

As the diva sat there alone-besides her dog-she felt the pang of loneliness against the walls of her heart once again. The view before her, the way the sunset bounced off the waves was beautiful but it was unsettling to see it alone. She longed to be able to lean her head on a significant others shoulder and take in the beauty of the world. Weather it was the beach, a park, a view from the Eiffel Tower she just wanted something special; someone special. Her most recent girlfriend Dawn had been good company when it came to viewing the world, when she was willing to do so. Dawn had always been the type to hang out under the Hollywood lights, enjoy fame and spend her free time with fellow famous friends that Rachel couldn't stand because they were the type of girls who always complained when they broke their fake nail or when the color was fading from their faux hair. Rachel enjoyed her perks of fame, she enjoyed the Hollywood lights to an extent but she was more the type who enjoyed the relaxation her down time brought and loved to travel to see many aspects of the world. She had been many places, due to her work schedule and her mother's but she craved to visit ALL of Europe and explore it, if only for a couple months. Even when the diva was with Dawn, she didn't receive many moments of enjoying the great view the beach had to offer or cuddling on the sand or sitting on the park bench as the breeze blew over them, or even relaxing in a borrowed sweater which was also something she craved but never received with her ex-girlfriend. All of her partners before her were also more focused on the chaos and life that LA brought them, except for her ex-boyfriend but they didn't last long enough to enjoy the perks of their relationship; they were better as friends which worked out for the best seen as she realized she was gay. It also didn't help Rachel that they had all lived in Los Angeles, while she lived in New Port. It may not have been a far drive, but it was always her that normally made the commute, especially in her relationship with Dawn. Rachel had always given a hundred percent while Dawn gave half of that. The brunette sighed as she circled her arms around herself, her eyes trained on the small waves which were picking up; a perk for surfers.

The singer shifted some of her hair behind her ear before pulling out her phone. She always had it on her, almost always needed to in case an agent or her producer called. It was a must have but right now she was too tired mentally to think of it as a business tool. She also just enjoyed listening to music on it as well as playing games, reading and trolling twitter. She sucked in a deep breath. The fresh air which was crisp with the smell of the water filled her lungs and she slipped her eyes closed for just a moment, attempting to just _be_ for a while. The moment passed after a few seconds and she opened her eyes and glanced down at the piece of technology. Sometimes she just wished that she could throw it in the ocean and rid it. However, instead of doing what she wished she opened up her twitter and decided she would troll it a little bit and see what was going on in everybody else's life.

Before she could control herself the brunette took her loneliness public. She knew she shouldn't open herself up so publicly but sometimes the online world was like a diary to almost everyone in the world; even celebrities. The diva also enjoyed joking around with her fans and acting as if they were friends. In her mind, they kind of were. Without them, she'd be nothing.

**Rachel Berry** OfficialRachelBerry  
_Feeling a little bit lonely, who wants to keep me company? :) :P  
_  
**Q ** Skysplits  
_ OfficialRachelBerry company's not always all it's cracked up to be..._

The brunette scrunched up her eyebrows as she read over the reply that she managed to single out through all of her numerous tweets from other fans attempting to befriend her, keep her company and just get her to notice them. As she glanced over the words Q sent her way, she could practically feel the pain behind them. The girl had a story and she wanted to know it and wished to figure it out one day. The diva began to type out a response, but decided to send it in a private message instead; it created more privacy for her and her "friend" which she preferred.

** OfficialRachelBerry:** _Well, company may not always be best but I've always thought it was better than loneliness.  
_  
** Skysplits:** _Even when you're surrounded by company, you can feel completely alone. My best friend's are throwing me a birthday bash which consists of music blasting, half of my school dancing like their in heat and people getting drunk to the point where they won't even remember why they woke up next to a person they barely know the next morning. I have all my friends, my girlfriend, a kick ass party that is supposed to be fun and am newly seventeen, yet I feel like I'm alone. It may be my party but I feel like I'm not here. I'm sitting all alone in my best friend's bedroom, my friends are focused on conquests and booze and who the fuck knows where my girlfriend wound up. The turn of events caused me to pointlessly explore twitter. I saw your message and decided, why not be alone together?  
_  
Rachel swallowed thickly, the girl was deep and she could tell just by her simple words that seemed to shine on the iPhone screen. The brunette wasn't sure what got to her the most, the fact that the mysterious girl was feeling that way on her birthday or that she had all of those people around but felt so alone.

Before the diva had a chance to respond, the thread filled with another message bubble from the girl.

_** Skysplits:**__I didn't mean to sound so depressing, to be honest I don't even know why I opened up to you like that; famous or not, I've never been good at that and we barely know each other. Maybe it's just the vodka I'm burning through.  
_  
Rachel bit her bottom lip and took in a deep breath.

_** OfficialRachelBerry:**__It's your birthday! Well happy birthday, it's a shame you're not enjoying it but you should at least try to. Also, I suppose you have a point, I understand completely. I work with a crowd of people constantly, an agent, manager, producers, co-stars, stylists and yet sometimes I can feel like nobody is truly paying attention to me. They see Rachel Berry but they never SEE me. It's true what they say, it's lonely at the top. As for your other topic of conversation, I find that it can be easy to open up to people when you don't have to see their facial expressions. Maybe a stranger is the easiest person to open up to, they don't know you which means they won't judge you as much as your friends might. Maybe in our case, it helps that we're behind a screen, if I were there right now would you have shared the things you did?_

_** Skysplits:**_ _Honestly, no._

Her response was simple, and Rachel although she had written a large response and would have hoped to gain a reasonable amount in return, the simple two words were all she needed. The diva took in a deep breath, she knew talking so openly with a mysterious fan could bring certain trouble, like them going to the media with deep dark secrets, or similar things like that but for some reason, she felt reckless. The brunette felt like it was okay to let her guard down for a moment, let someone see her beyond the famous aspect. She wondered if it was pathetic that the one friend she could potentially make, without involving her fame, was a random girl that she met online. She met her due to her fame, but Rachel felt like the mysterious girl talked to her, not because she was famous, but maybe because she too needed a friend.

The diva took in a deep breath, and glanced over at Shadow, who was still laying down in the sand beside her. She stretched out one of her hands and pet him on the head for a brief moment, before returning to the virtual conversation she was involved in.

** OfficialRachelBerry**_**:**_ _Precisely, so how was your birthday despite the disappointing party? _

_** Skysplits:**_ _It was going good actually until this stupid party started. My girlfriend decided she'd pick a fight with me and then take off to god knows where, then my friends ditched me to get a room and now I'm in a room alone, getting wasted. Definitely the way I wanted to spend my birthday -_- However, I didn't expect I'd be talking to you on my birthday, which is a nice surprise and definitely made the night better.  
_  
_** Skysplits:**_ _Anyway, enough about my personal hell, what are you up to superstar?_

Rachel frowned as she read over the messages, she glanced away from the phone and looked out at the sunset before her. The diva knew it would be fading soon but she took in the way the shade of orange met the yellow and created a light red that bounced off of the ocean water. The brunette got her camera ready, and slowly raised her IPhone, it didn't take her long to capture a quick shot of her view. She smiled and quickly uploaded it to her instgram, deciding not to write a caption underneath it. Rachel copied the link for the picture and pasted it into her conversation with her mysterious fan.

_** OfficialRachelBerry:**__ I'm sorry about your fight with your girlfriend and the bad night you're having but I will say that I am glad that I could make the night better. See sometimes company can be a good thing, I think it may just depend on the kind of company you receive ;). Also that link I sent you will answer your question as to what I am currently doing :)._

Quinn took in a deep breath as she sat on the messy bed, the bottle of vodka in one hand and her phone in the other. The blonde took in a deep breath and followed the link. She looked over the photo and her lips shifted upward into a soft smile. The sunset was beautiful and suddenly Quinn wished that she was there staring into the gorgeous imagery and far from where she actually was. Sometimes she wished she could escape to places like that. Even though they didn't know each other well, she wished she was sitting beside her on the beach enjoying her company in person. She longed for a companion who could connect with her on those levels.

** Skysplits: **_That's a gorgeous view. Jealous. _

Quinn brought the bottle up to her lips and took a gentle swig as she waited for a response from the singer. She closed her hazel eyes for a brief moment and took in a deep breath as she felt her throat react to the alcohol that slid down. Her ears picked up the noises of people yelling at each other outside the room she was in. The blonde could also hear a lot of laughing and stupid guys attempting to act cool in front of one another but most of all she heard the music. The loud, obnoxious type of music that in Quinn's mind wasn't music just beats and words thrown together so people would dance aimlessly and feel like getting wasted. The music she enjoyed was deep, it had lyrics that could touch the heart and soul; it was music that could make her drift into sleep, or music that could make her heart break or heal. Sure she loved some songs from Lady Gaga or Ke$ha but their songs never truly spoke to her.

_** OfficialRachelBerry:**_ _I'm sorry you couldn't see it in person, I love just sitting here looking out at it. It lets me escape and sit down and just...breathe._

_** Skysplits:**_ _The park is my escape, there's this hill that I like to go to. I usually sit under one of the trees with a book or my iPod and just be..._

_** OfficialRachelBerry:**_ _That sounds nice actually...I have a question for you._

_** Skysplits:**_ _Okay..._

_** OfficialRachelBerry:**_ _What's your name?_

_** Skysplits:**_ _Quinn_

_..._

"Who do you keep texting? Every time we hang out, you're always texting at some point." Chelsea, Quinn's girlfriend said as they rested on her bed watching a movie together.

"I'm just messaging a friend..." Quinn said as she looked up from her message thread with Rachel. The girls had been talking quite a bit since the first time they ever exchanged a message. Quinn was still normally guarded but there were times she'd tell Rachel a few personal things. The blonde found that talking to the celebrity was a little addictive, their talks weren't heavy and were usually light hearted. It was definitely something the cheerleader enjoyed.

"A girl?" Chelsea asked, her jaw clenched slightly at the thought of her girlfriend messing around with someone else.

"Yes..." Quinn mumbled with a roll of her eyes.

_** OfficialRachelBerry:**_ _I'm happy the albums done, it'll be nice to have a little time off until it comes out in November but I'm a little nervous for everyone to hear it. _

Quinn raised an eyebrow at what Rachel had said; from what she saw of the girl on TV or interviews, the diva always seemed so confident when it came to her music. Chelsea watched her girlfriend and released a heavy sigh wanting all of the blonde's attention on her like she normally did.

** Skysplits:** _I'm sure it will be great, all of your albums are :)_

"You know, it'd be nice if you'd put the phone down and pay attention to me while we're hanging out." Chelsea shifted closer to her girlfriend and kissed her neck softly, "I'm sure there are better things to do than text some chick."

Quinn released a sigh, "Chels, I'm not in the mood."

"Come on Quinn, it's been a while..." The brunette whispered in a pleading tone.

"It's been a few days, I'm allowed to not be in the mood Chelsea..." Quinn sat down her phone and shifted to face her girlfriend. "Spending time together doesn't always have to wind up with us having sex, sometimes I just like spending time with you."

"Well you're doing a shitty job of spending time with me. You have your nose in your damn phone talking to some slut," Chelsea released a deep breath and glared at her girlfriend. "Who is she anyway?"

"She's not a slut!" The blonde glanced down at her phone and then back up at her girlfriend "She's my friend." Quinn said with a soft smile. She couldn't believe that she could actually say that about Rachel Berry. In a way that's what they had become, despite that they had never met or really delved into deep conversations.

"You're friend..." The brunette bit her bottom lip as she stared at Quinn with questioning eyes.

"Yes..." The cheerleader raised her eyebrow, "Where exactly are you going with this?"

"Are you fucking her?"

"What!? Do you know how stupid you sound right now? Just because I'm talking to a girl doesn't mean I'm sleeping with her." Quinn said honestly, hiding the fact that she wouldn't be opposed to being intimate with the celebrity.

"Well you can't exactly blame me for wondering, you spend a lot of time talking to this girl." The brunette snapped as she pried herself up off her bed and stood in front of Quinn, staring down at her.

The blonde took in a deep breath and quickly stood up, she hated being in that position. She hated feeling powerless. It was Chelsea's way of showing that she was in charge of the conversation but Quinn wasn't about to let that happen, nor was she going to let her girlfriend intimidate her.

"I'm allowed to talk to my friend Chelsea." Quinn ran a hand through her hair, "You're always talking to different girls, yet I haven't once accused you of cheating on me." The cheerleader released a deep breath and looked at her girlfriend intently, "Relationships need trust Chelsea..."

"It's hard not to think you're sleeping around, when as I said you're always talking to her."

"I'm not always talking to her but yes when I get the chance I enjoy doing so and there is nothing wrong with that because she and I are just friends." Quinn sighed as she side stepped her girlfriend and walked towards the bedroom door. "It's nice to know that you don't trust me even though I've never given you a reason not to." The blonde gave her girlfriend one last glance before exiting the room; leaving the fight behind her.

...

Rachel sighed as she heard a light knock on her bedroom door. Summer was coming to an end and September was just around the corner in a couple days and all the diva had been talking about lately was her album release, which was scheduled for November. It had been a huge project for her because it was her first time releasing a two album set. The collection contained 40 songs on two discs, and a third DVD disc of behind the scenes footage of her making said albums, and all of her music videos that had been released to date, plus a few bonus ones for some of the songs off her new album. Some of which hadn't been released yet. Her manager, and publicist had been working hard to schedule interviews, and other press activities to promote her new album. All she wanted was a day to relax, and have one moment to herself, and her thoughts. Unfortunately, the universe had other plans.

" Come in."

The door creaked lightly as it opened. Rachel glanced up at the sound and saw her mom standing in the door way, cautiously leaning against the frame. "Can we talk sweetie?" The woman asked softly.

The diva looked at her mother with concern, "Is something wrong?" Rachel shifted, and sat up from her laying positing into a sitting one, resting her back against her headboard.

"No, but we need to discuss something," Shelby began as she shifted away from the door frame, and walked towards the bed. The older woman sat down on the foot of the bed, and faced her daughter. "Do you remember that TV miniseries I auditioned for a few weeks ago?"

"Yes..."

"Well I got the part," Shelby said with a smile, "The only downfall is that their filming on location."

"How long will you be gone this time?" The sad tone was evident in the girl's voice.

"For a year, but I won't be going alone." Shelby ran her fingers through her hair, "You'll be coming with me. Your tour ends in August and filming for my series doesn't start until September, so you won't have many commitments when we relocate." Shelby looked at her daughter, who just kept staring at her with shocked eyes. "The move may be a year away, but I wanted to tell you in advance. Filming would have started sooner but the director they wanted had a prior project, so it got pushed back."

"Why do I have to come with you? Can't I stay here, or with dads?"

"Rachel, I'm not going to leave you here all alone for a year," Shelby inhaled sharply. "Also, I talked to your father's and they can't-"

"Of course they can't. What is it this time? A vacation, business, personal matters, or did they come up with a new excuse?"

Shelby sighed, "Your father's business is expanding, and he has a lot of meetings and traveling to do, they also have a vacation scheduled sometime next year, most likely over Christmas break. I'm sorry sweetie but you have to come with me."

"I don't want to go Mom, every time you go somewhere for longer than a couple weeks I always get dragged with you. I recorded my whole second album in Europe!"

"But you loved Europe, and Rachel I don't care if you don't want to go. I am not going to let my sixteen year old have the house all to herself for a year." The older woman took a deep breath, "I care too much about you to just leave you on your own." She added softly.

"By the time you start filming I'll almost be eighteen," Rachel pouted, "you've left me with Burt for a week or two occasionally, can't I just stay with them again?"

"If it was just for a week or two I would consider it but since it's for a year you will be coming with me."

"But mom, after my tour I wanted to look for more acting jobs." Rachel crossed her arms across her chest, "This is not fair!"

"I know it's not sweetheart but it's life." Shelby said gently. "Honestly Rachel going away for a year can do you some good. You've been rushing this album out, and while I admit that's a good thing because you've been through a rough heartbreak and it's very therapeutic, you're overworking yourself. Add your tour to that, which starts only a month after the album release, it will be nice to just relax and take a breather. It's just a year sweetie." The older woman added.

"But I want to be here in L.A. with my friends, or in New York with dad but of course he's too busy for me as always and you won't let me stay here."

"I'm sure Lima won't be that bad Rachel."

Rachel narrowed her eyes at her mother, before grabbing her cell off of her nightstand, determined to look the place up. As she searched through Google, and found information on the small town her eyebrows furrowed and she released a small diva like whine.

"It's a cow town mom!"

"It will be fine," Shelby said softly. "Try not to dwell on it, try to look forward to it instead. You'll be able to experience new things, and meet new people. I was also planning on enrolling you in one of the high schools so you will be able to complete your senior year."

Rachel pouted, "Why can't I just continue my education with my tutor?" she wasn't against the idea of attending a public school, in fact the idea had always appealed to her, she was just curious as to why her mom suddenly wanted her to attend a normal high school. The last time she attempted to do so in her freshman year, her mother pulled her out because the students were a little crazy over having a celebrity in their presence and some people who weren't fans of her, picked on her because they thought that she viewed herself as better than them. Shelby had always viewed it too dangerous for someone of her fame level to attend a public, everyday school.

"You will start your junior year with her, and complete it but I think it would be good for you to attend an actual high school. A school in a small town may work out better than a school in California."

Rachel shrugged off the conversation about school, and her mind shifted back to the original reason for the conversation. "Please tell me that you're not doing this to me."

"Rachel, I'm sure the school won't-"

"I'm not upset about attending school, to be honest that actually excites me a little bit. What's upsetting me is that you're moving me 3000 miles away, into a cow town!"

Shelby released a deep breath, "Get over it sweetie, it won't be as bad as you think."


	2. Chapter 1

**Note:** Thank you everyone for reviewing, reading, adding it as a favorite and alerting. I was shocked by the amount of story followers this thing had accumulated. :)

* * *

_**Chapter One**_

_**One Year Later**_

It was the last week of August before school started and Judy had decided to surprise Quinn with tickets to go see Rachel Berry in concert in Columbus, which happened to be the superstars last tour date. Quinn had been happy back in December when she had opened her Christmas card and the tickets fell out. At the time the concert was far away but it had been the one thing she looked forward to all year. However, as she sat in the passenger seat of her mother's car with her head against the window and her eyes trained on the outside world she was far from happy or excited. Instead she was miserable and heartbroken; she had also only been newly single for two months. Her world had turned upside down and had done a complete 180. She and Chelsea had broken up many times but had always gotten back together a day or two later, the longest a split lasted between them was a week. On and off was how they'd always been because they clashed instead of clicked. Quinn knew that should have been her first clue that it was doomed from the start but she ignored it because she fell in love with the other girl. Now she far from loved her. In fact getting over her wasn't the hard part, dealing with the pain was. It almost felt as if she hated her which just proved to Quinn that maybe she hadn't truly loved her to begin with, especially if she could hate her so easily. Love was bullshit or so the blonde had convinced herself over the last two months. Over that time Santana and Brittany tried to mend her and the cheerleader even stopped tweeting Rachel even though she quite enjoyed talking to the starlet. She wasn't herself and the last thing she needed was to get even closer to the celebrity she had a major crush on, especially when her heart was mending.

Quinn and Rachel had gotten fairly close over the last year, they talked about girls, high school compared to home school, cheerleading, singing, movies, photography and sketching, among other things. But it was never too personal and that had been the way Quinn liked it, she enjoyed the way Rachel never dug for information and instead she waited until Quinn was ready to give it. There were still many things Rachel did not know; the details of her break-up, seen as she stopped talking to the diva afterward and her father was also another topic she never mentioned. She also never confessed where she lived or anything that the blonde viewed as too deep.

Santana and Brittany sat in the backseat, glancing at each other and remaining silent. Both girls had been worried about their friend since the break-up took place. Quinn never liked to talk about how she was feeling or felt and sometimes not knowing bothered the Latina. The most they had gotten out of her was that it hurt but she would get over it.

Judy glanced at her daughter as they stopped at a red light and took in a deep breath. She hated seeing her baby girl so depressed, it killed her that she couldn't magically heal her. However she knew one thing that seemed to help her daughter deal and that was Rachel's most recent album. The record had many breakup songs, inspired by the diva's personal breakup and it was obvious to anyone close to the blonde that the lyrics had been helping Quinn get through the pain.

"Do you want me to play Rachel's album sweetie?" Judy asked softly before glancing at her daughter again.

"No, it's fine." Quinn said as she reached into her purse and pulled out her iPod. She had been so focused on the world outside of the window that she had forgotten to take the device out at the beginning of the trip. The blonde untangled her headphones and slid them inside her ears, deciding that an escape into the music may not be a bad decision.

Quinn's eyes slid shut as she allowed the music to invade her. Rachel's voice filled her ears and she got lost in the lyrics which spoke to her on many levels. Most of the diva's album was filled with break-up songs and they represented how Quinn felt. Rachel's break-up with Dawn had gone public and most people even if they weren't fans were aware of what happened. The songs that the singer had written and chosen to place on the album made sense, it was how she felt after her break-up and Quinn knew how that feeling. The blonde felt connected to Rachel as if that one thing they shared pulled them together, all because of the music that had been made.

"I tried to find you at the bottom of a bottle  
Laying down on the bathroom floor  
My loneliness was a rattle in the windows  
You said you don't want me anymore"

As the music played Quinn tilted her head to the side, her eyes lazily exploring the outside world once again.

"And you left me  
Standing on a corner crying,  
Feeling like a fool for trying  
I don't even remember  
Why I'm wasting all these tears on you  
I wish I could erase our memory  
'Cause you didn't give a damn about me  
Oh, finally I'm through  
Wasting all these tears on you  
These tears on you"

Quinn swallowed thickly and slowly closed her eyes. Her emotions always broke out when she listened to the stars' latest album and the tears were beginning to prick at her eyes.

"You ain't worth another sleepless night  
And I'll do everything I gotta do to get you off my mind  
'Cause what you wanted I couldn't give  
What you did, girl, I'll never forget"

_Quinn pulled into Chelsea's driveway with a small smile on her lips. They had gotten into a fight the day before and had yet to resolve it but the blonde wanted to get through it and overcome. She always wanted to mend the pointless fights they had because she couldn't stand being angry at the girl, it took to much energy. As she walked up to the front door she held onto a single white rose; Chelsea's favorite flower. The blonde wanted to surprise her so she reached into the potted plant near the front door and searched for the spare key which was always there. She quickly unlocked the door and entered, the sound of music filled the house and bounced off of the walls. She placed the spare key on the small table near the door and then headed up the stairs towards her girlfriend's room. Her hand connected with the cold metal of the doorknob and she quickly turned it, opening the door with a smile on her face._

_"Harder." Chelsea's voice overpowered the music and Quinn's eyes widened at the sight before her._

_"Oh my god." Quinn chocked out, tears stabbing at her throat begging to rise and get released. Her smile had instantly faded and all that was left was pain clearly displayed on every inch of her porcelain face._

_"Fuck...Quinn..." Chelsea pushed at the boy's shoulders and he quickly pulled out of her. He covered himself up with the sheet and swallowed thickly, when he started sleeping with Chelsea he hadn't thought about getting caught by not only her girlfriend but their school's head cheerleader._

_"It's not what it-"_

_Quinn raised a hand and took in a deep breath, "Don't." The cheerleader tossed the flower onto the floor, turned on her heel and quickly hurried out of the house._

_Tears pricked at her eyes and a few managed to escape as they rolled down her blonde swallowed thickly and held back the sobs that were trying to tear through her throat. Her hand clamped over her mouth as she arrived at her car and she tightly closed her eyes, trying to force herself to stop crying. She reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out her car keys, wanting nothing more than to drive away. Her hand shook as she attempted to line the key up and a quiet sob escaped through her parted lips._

_"Quinn!" The sound of Chelsea's voice made her stiffen and her sadness seemed to flip to anger instantly. "It didn't mean anything, I swear." A hand came to rest on her shoulder and Quinn shrugged it off. She didn't want to feel Chelsea's touch, not after where her hands had been and what she had been doing._

_Quinn swallowed thickly and as the car door which had finally been unlocked hung open waiting for her to get in it, her mind had something else planned. She swiftly turned around to face the other girl and her hand quickly rose and connected with the brunette's cheek. The sound seemed to echo in Quinn's ears and a red mark soon formed on the injured skin. Chelsea's eyes glistened with tears from the force of the slap and the blonde just stared at her not even feeling sorry._

_"I-I don't know what I can say except that I'm sorry." The fellow cheerleader held her cheek and forced back the tears that wanted to shed due to the pain. "It was a one time thing, I promise you that."_

_Quinn wanted to believe her but now that she had caught he girlfriend in bed with someone else she couldn't help but wonder if there were others. Chelsea had always disappeared at Puck's parties after dragging the blonde with her and Quinn always wondered why she was brought when her girlfriend ditched her. Now she wondered what Chelsea had been doing, or possibly who. As Quinn stood there her chest began to hurt and it seemed like she could actually feel her heart breaking. She swallowed thickly and wiped a few tears which managed to fall, the last thing she wanted was for Chelsea to see how much pain she was in._

_"We're done." Quinn chocked out before turning to her car. Before she could get in Chelsea's hand connected with her arm and she managed to turn the blonde to face her._

_"It was a mistake."_

_Quinn took in a deep breath, "Bullshit." Her heart cracked a little bit more. "I can't do this anymore. The fights, the back and forth and you cheating on me, I can't handle it anymore. It's over." She managed to choke it out and she quickly turned away and finally got into her car. The door slammed and all that seemed to be heard by both girls was her engine as she started the car and sped out of the driveway._

"And you left me  
Standing on a corner crying  
Feeling like a fool for trying  
I don't even remember  
Why I'm wasting all these tears on you  
I wish I could erase our memory  
'Cause you didn't give a damn about me  
Oh, finally I'm through  
Wasting all these tears on you  
These tears on you  
And you left me  
Standing on a corner crying  
Feeling like a fool for trying  
I don't even remember  
Why I'm wasting all these tears on you  
I wish I could erase our memory  
'Cause you didn't give a damn about me  
Oh, finally I'm through  
Wasting all these tears on you  
Oh, oh, these tears on you  
I tried to find you at the bottom of a bottle  
Laying down on the bathroom floor"

Quinn wiped away a tear and her eyes fluttered open. She was faced with passing trees and fields as her eyes looked out the window. A shaky breath escaped her and she mentally told herself to relax. She wanted to enjoy the concert and she knew she wouldn't if her mind was focused on her heartbreak.

...

Rachel took a sip from her water bottle as she rested in her small greenroom backstage. Her tour had been long and successful. Every show had been sold out and although she was enjoying performing every night a part of her was glad that it was almost over. The final tour stop always made her sad because she hated when the journey came to an end but she was thankful at the same time because she could finally get some rest. The part she always missed the most when a tour had completed its run was connecting with her fans. The diva enjoyed meeting as many as she could and loved thanking them because she knew that without them she would not exist in the business.

Her Cheated tour, which was named after the biggest hit on her recent album was her favorite by far. Her opening act was a unique band that went by the name of S2. She was close to the main member Sean, a boy she had grown up with and having him on tour had been an enjoyment. Since they had always been close she had gotten close to his friends, Spencer and Jordan who were the other members of Sean's band. Spencer also happened to be her ex-boyfriend who she had briefly dated when she was 13 before she realized her sexuality.

"The house is full tonight!" Sean said with excitement, it was something he seemed to mention at every venue. Rachel didn't say anything in response because she always liked to rest her voice before a show, so she opted for a simple nod.

Sean was an attractive man, he was the member of the band that definitely went through woman. He had a head full of black hair which he tended to style different ways, depending on his mood. Normally he styled it like James Dean, other times he kept it messy and gave it that 'just got out of bed' style. Sean was picky when it came to his hair and he kept it at the length he did because he loved to give woman something to play with but he maintained it so that it didn't grow to long. The boy's faux black hair helped pop out his intense brown eyes and it went well with his California tan that dressed up his creamy skin. Sean's style had always been simple, he liked Jeans or board shorts if he was enjoying the California weather. The 20 year old loved t-shirts, muscle shirts and most of the time if he didn't have to wear a shirt he wouldn't. The natural brunette loved showing off his abs and enjoyed the looks the ladies would give him.

Sean flopped down onto the couch beside his friend and lightly nudged her with his tattoo covered arm. "I snuck a peek and there's a really hot chick in the front."

Rachel rolled her eyes at her best friend, attempting to remain silent.

"She's totally your type. Hot, blonde and damn from what I saw her body is smokin"

Rachel released a sigh, "Are girls all you ever think about?" Her silence finally broke.

"I'm single, what else is there to think about?" The boy chuckled, "the crowds are always full of sexy chicks and I plan on going home with one." Rachel scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"What? At least I'm looking at what's available instead of fantasizing over a faceless girl who's hiding behind a twitter username."

"Shut up Sean..." Rachel whispered softly. He had told her about the crush she was developing on her online friend at the beginning of the tour and she hated when he brought it up, especially at that current moment. The diva missed Quinn even though she was only a girl she spoke to on twitter; she hadn't received a message in two months and it caused her to wonder if the cheerleader was okay.

"Doesn't it get tiring chasing girl after girl? Don't you ever want to settle down?" She asked, changing the subject.

Sean shrugged, "I don't know, maybe." He ran his fingers through his messy hair and looked into Rachel's soft eyes. "I never really thought about it. I don't dream about falling in love, I just kind of wing it and go with the flow. For me hooking up's just fine, it gives me everything I need."

"Maybe you'll find someone who will change that one day."

"I don't know, relationships aren't really my thing."

Rachel nodded, "I know." The brunette's eyes shifted away from Sean's comforting gaze and looked down at her phone. "It's almost show time." She whispered before leaning her head on the boys shoulder.

...

Rachel took a sip of her water and prepared herself to walk onto the stage and start the concert off with a bang.

"Ready?" Her guitarist and main back-up singer Dani asked.

"Aren't I always?" Rachel smiled brightly and received one in return. Dani gave her a simple pat on the back as a way of saying good luck before walking onto the stage to join the band.

The brunette was close to the people who played for her. She knew them well and they were always great company on tours, as well as whatever opening act she had at the time. However, despite that she was close to them she never delved into deep friendships with them, instead they were like a second family just in the professional world. Dani was the only one who was not only her musical family, but was also her friend. Since Rachel didn't have many true friends it caused her to value her friendships even more and she always swore that if Dani wasn't a part of her journey she'd be lost without her. Being her main guitarist she was always the one Rachel opened up to first when presenting a new song; she was the one who normally got to view them first and help her come up with a melody.

As Rachel waited backstage as the band began to start playing the music to her opening song. She took in a deep breath and held the microphone up to her lips, preparing to start using the amazing singing voice she had been blessed with. The brunette walked onto the stage from the side and the venue erupted in screams; Rachel couldn't help but smile at the love she was shown.

"Don't get me wrong,  
I love who I am  
I don't wanna be ungrateful  
It probably sounds strange  
I really love the role I play  
The songs I sing  
But with all the fame  
The things that seem so simple,  
suddenly, so far out of reach  
Wish that they could see that underneath...  
I'm just an ordinary girl"

As she sang she tried to look out at the audience, taking in as many faces as she possibly could. The lights she had set up for the stage were light shades of purples, blues and pinks and weren't too bright because she hated being blinded by the light show. She also felt that her concerts were a way to connect to her fans and the audience before her, not an opportunity for smoke, lights and fire tricks to take over the show. Rachel loved adding effects but she also loved being in a venue with her fans and just feeling like they weren't that different. Her encore was when she brought out the intense effects, so she would go out with a bang.

"Sometimes I'm lazy  
I get bored  
I get scared  
I feel ignored  
I feel happy, I get silly  
I choke on my own words  
I make wishes, I have Dreams  
And I still want to believe  
Anything can happen in this world,  
For an ordinary girl  
Like you, Like me  
For an ordinary girl  
Like you, Like me"

Her eyes traveled over the people in the first row of the audience and her orbs managed to lock onto a sea of hazel. Quinn felt her breath catch as the undertow dragged her deeper into the chestnut colored ocean. The blonde swallowed thickly and continued to get pulled in as Rachel continued to perform.

"How are you?  
Hello, Good-bye  
One day here, One day there  
And again it's time to go  
Miss popular always on the road  
Put my best foot forward  
Gotta get on with the show  
Strike a pose for the front cover of a magazine  
Every where I arrive, I get high-5's  
They pay me larger than life  
I'm just an ordinary girl"

Rachel forced herself to finally look away from the gorgeous blonde. The moment their eyes had connected she didn't want to look away and her breath almost got trapped in her throat but she fought through it so she could perform. Rachel couldn't help but think that the mysterious girl was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen and she had seen a lot all over the world.

"Sometimes I'm lazy  
I get bored  
I get scared  
I feel ignored  
I feel happy, I get silly  
I choke on my own words  
I make wishes, I have Dreams  
And I still want to believe  
Anything can happen in this world,  
For an ordinary girl"

Rachel shot the blonde a soft smile as she continued to open the show. The brunette soon paid attention to other audiences members, sending out smiles and waves but she wished she could go back to staring at the woman who took her breath away.

"So give it everything or nothin' at all  
Get back on your feet when  
You stumble and fall  
A little luck can go a long way  
So don't you worry about what people say  
Who knows when the wind may blow  
For an ordinary girl  
I'm just an ordinary girl  
Sometimes I'm lazy  
I get bored  
I get scared  
I feel ignored  
I feel happy, I get silly  
I choke on my own words  
I make wishes, I have Dreams  
And I still want to believe  
Anything can happen in this world,  
For an ordinary girl  
Like you, Like me  
For an ordinary girl  
Like you, Like me  
For an ordinary girl  
For an ordinary girl

Like me, like you..."

"She totally thinks you're hot." Brittany said as she elbowed Quinn gently.

Quinn released a dry chuckle, "Whatever you say Britt's." The shorter blonde doubted it but she also knew well enough to humor the dancer.

...

Midway through Rachel started to perform her hit Roar, a song she wrote after her break-up with Dawn. It had been her way of saying that she would get back up again and be stronger.

The audience was jumping around to the song and everyone was singing along; Rachel loved it.

"She's awesome!" Brittany said before quickly slipping off her bra and throwing it on stage. It had all happened so quickly that Judy hadn't even noticed that the dancer had pulled the undergarment out from under her shirt. Rachel continued to sing and caught the bra when it flew towards her; her eyes fell on Brittany and she smiled before hanging it on her microphone stand. Although the diva liked the attention she received and always felt flattered when a bra, flower or stuffed animal was thrown on stage she couldn't help but wish that the girl she had her eye on would throw hers.

"Brittany!" Judy chastised, she didn't exactly approve of her daughter's friend throwing her bra on stage.

"Relax mom." Judy's eyes snapped toward her daughter, "it's just a bra, it's not like she ran up on stage naked."

Judy raised an eyebrow and shook her head, "It's inappropriate Quinnie and shouldn't have happened. Understood?"

Quinn raised her eyebrow and sent a smirk her mother's way. "Don't even think a out it." Her mother warned.

She reached up underneath her shirt and quickly unsnapped her bra and followed that with sliding the straps out from under her sleeves. Judy's eyes widened and she was just about to say something when Quinn tossed it on stage at the singer.

Rachel's cheeks heated up and her chest grew heavy as her breath caught while she was attempting to sing. When she caught the bra she twirled it on her finger this time and sent Quinn a wink, which caused the cheerleader to blush. After a few moments had passed Rachel slid the bra in the back pocket of her jeans as she finished up her song. A part of it hung out, but the diva didn't care.

"And you're gonna hear me Roar!" She belted out the end with the help of the audience and afterward she smiled at them and chuckled lightly. "Thank you for singing along and helping me out!" She said loudly into the microphone. Although she chatted up the audience for a bit, eliciting screams in response she couldn't get the bra in her back pocket off of her mind. She also couldn't keep her eyes off of the girl on the first row, who was close to the stage yet seemed so far away. There had been something about the blonde that Rachel couldn't quite put her finger on; she knew she hadn't seen her before and yet she seemed familiar.

...

The concert was almost at an end as Rachel came back onto the stage for her encore. She had spent most of the concert causing the audience to cheer, bringing little girls on stage to give them a great experience and staring at the blonde in the front row. She daintily sat down on a stool that had been set out while she was off stage. She had chosen a combination of songs for her encore, one slow, one up-beat and one that was a mix of both.

Her pianist began to play and Rachel took in a deep breath preparing herself to sing one of the songs that hit her hard. It had been a song she wrote a couple of weeks before she and Dawn had broken up. Her relationship had been falling apart before she caught the other starlet cheating. She just didn't expect it to end the way it had and even though she was over the girl performing the song was still painful. Performing all the songs about their relationship, the cheating and the heartbreak still caused her wounds to open and her fragile heart to clench.

"It's easy to fall in love  
But it's so hard to break somebody's heart  
What seemed like a good idea has turned into a battlefield  
Once lust has turned to dust and all that's left's held breath  
Forgotten who we first met  
What seemed like a good idea has turned into a battlefield'

Quinn felt her throat tighten as Rachel sang. Her heart was still broken and every time she listened to the song it cracked a little bit more. The song reminded her of how horrible her and Chelsea had been together. It made her think of all the times they had fought, all the times they had broken up just to get back together and all the times Chelsea had made her cry. Their relationship had always been a battlefield and the blonde felt like she was a part of a war that would never be settled. After she caught Chelsea with another person she wondered how many people there were, if all the times she ditched her at parties wound up being times she fucked someone else; including her birthday party that took place the previous summer.

"We both know it's coming  
Does illusion count for something we hide?  
The surface tension's gotta break, one drop is all it takes to flood out this lie  
You and I  
We have to let each other go  
We keep holding on but we both know  
What seemed like a good idea has turned into a battlefield  
Peace will come when one of us puts down the gun

Be strong for both of us  
No please, don't run, don't run  
Eye to eye, we face our fears unarmed on the battlefield"

Quinn felt a squeeze in her throat due to the tears that were piling up. The last thing she wanted was for them to raise and release but her eyes were already beginning to water. The blonde closed them for a moment, hoping to keep them at bay but when she opened her eyes the unshed tears quickly piled back up.

"We seemed like a good idea  
We seemed like a good idea  
No blood will spill if we both get out now  
Still it's hard to put the fire out  
What seemed like a good idea has turned into a battlefield  
Feelings are shifting like the tide  
And I think too much about the future  
What seemed like a good idea has turned into a battlefield  
We both know it's coming  
Does illusion count for something we hide?  
The surface tension's gotta break, one drop is all it takes to flood out this lie"

Holding back the tears failed as one rolled down the cheerleader's cheek. She quickly wiped it away and tried to focus on the performance and the girl who was delivering it. Her eyes settled on the beautiful brunette and the pink lights glistened off the diva's face causing the wet streaks on her cheeks to glisten. Rachel took in her audience and realized that the song made most of her fans emotional, her eyes continued to bounce off of the audience members and soon landed on Quinn. Her heart sank when she realized that the beauty was crying; she felt like she wanted to stop it. She didn't know why but she wanted to wipe the tears away and make everything better for the other girl. Rachel began to wonder if she only wanted to because the girl was so breathtaking, or because she felt as if she knew her.

"You and I  
We have to let each other go  
We keep holding on but we both know  
What seemed like a good idea has turned into a battlefield  
Peace will come when one of us puts down the gun  
Be strong for both of us  
No please, don't run, don't run  
Eye to eye, we face our fears unarmed on the battlefield  
We seemed like a good idea  
We seemed like a good idea  
We seemed like a good idea"

...

The crowd around the autograph table was suffocating. Security attempted to keep people in a line but keeping a bunch of teenage girls, excited kids and hormonal boys controlled was a difficult task. Rachel always did a meet and greet after every concert for free, the packages people paid for were different. They included backstage access, sound check access and time with the diva herself. The autograph sessions were just a free and easy way for her to meet her fans and get a few pictures with them.

"Aren't you excited Q? You finally get to meet her!" Brittany said with excitement.

Santana chuckled and sent a smirk Quinn's way. "I'm sure she wishes she could get more than an autograph."

Judy cleared her throat at Santana's words and Quinn elbowed her friend in the ribs. "Shut up S."

The line continued to move and the table soon came into the cheerleaders view. S2 was sitting with the starlet; Sean was on one side and Spencer was on the other. The third member Jordan was positioned beside Sean. Quinn was also a fan of the band, she owned their music and was also a little excited to meet them. Sean may have had a edgy look about him due to his tattoo sleeves on both arms and the tattoo he had across his chest but Spencer was the opposite. He was clean cut and was typically called the boy next door. Jordan was a mix of both, he had short hair and some scruff that suited him well, a boy next door attitude but also had a decoration of tattoos on his skin. He was the member that came in after the band had been formed. He moved from Canada to LA to pursue his dream of music and auditioned for the band when Spencer and Sean had put out an add. Once the band was formed Rachel had helped them get their big break and they were signed to the same label as she.

"Hey sweetie." Rachel said softly as a little girl who was ahead of Quinn approached the table.

"Hi!" The little girl smiled wide, showing a gap where her two front teeth were suppose to be. The brunette couldn't help but smile in return, "I wanna be like you when I grow up."

"You do?" Rachel leaned forward in her chair, "What's your name?"

"Emily."

"Beautiful name," Rachel signed one of the mini posters she had stacked on the table for the little girl and handed it to her. "Never give up on your dreams and just remember that you're never too young or too old to achieve them. My mom always told me to not only reach for the stars, but reach for the moon as well as mars."

Emily widened her eyes and opened her mouth in shock as she looked down at the picture.

"She always wanted to meet you." Emily's mother said.

"I'm glad I could make one of her dreams come true."

"I just want to thank you, this means the world to her."

"It's my pleasure." Rachel glanced at the girl and slowly rose from her seat. She walked around the table and approached Emily with a smile still gracing her face. "I was wondering if I could have a hug?"

Emily nodded with excitement and the diva gently crouched down and wrapped her arms around her fan. The little girl reminded her of herself when she was young, a child with big idols and big dreams.

"Does your mommy have any paper?" Rachel asked once she had let the girl go. Her eyes connected onto a deep shade of blue as she locked eyes with the mom.

"Mommy do you?" Emily bounced on her heels with happiness and excitement written on her face.

Quinn found herself watching the scene play out before her. She always thought Rachel was sweet, especially since they began interacting on twitter but seeing it was a different thing all together. It caused her to admire the diva a little bit more and her attraction to her celebrity crush seemed to suddenly increase. Most celebrities didn't take or make the time to interact with as many fans as they could, but the brunette was different and Quinn liked that.

The mom opened her purse and pulled out an unopened package of sticky notes. She handed it to the superstar who opened the package and began to write on the top one. Emily watched her with interest and continued to bounce in anticipation.

"I want you to have this, and don't hesitate to use it." Rachel pulled the sticky note off and handed it to the little girl. "But the stuff on this paper is a secret, nobody can know." The brunette lowered her voice into a hushed whisper and Emily looked up at her with shock and awe written on her face. "That's my personal email and cell phone number, you can use it anytime. I want to hear everything about that upcoming career of yours."

"Really?"

Rachel smiled and pulled Emily in for another hug, "Really." She whispered, reassuring the little girl. "But before you go, I want you to give me something."

Emily's brows furrowed in confusion, "like what?"

"Well I want you to sign this," The brunette handed her the sticky notes and the marker she had been using during her autograph session. "Since you're going to be famous one day I want to be the first person you give an autograph to. I want to be able to point you and say, I have her autograph."

Emily smiled wide and Rachel's lips pulled upward into a bright, blinding grin.

The young brunette scribbled down her name, messily ripped the sticky note off of the stack and held it out for the diva to take.

"Thank You." Rachel whispered, "You'll go far, " the brunette squeezed the girl's shoulder and smiled at the mother before they walked away. Emily waved as they headed for the door and Rachel waved in return.

The singer ran her fingers through her hair and headed back toward the autograph table. The moment her eyes landed on the girl who was standing before the table her breath caught. Rachel bit her bottom lip as she sat back down and briefly wondered how somebody could be that gorgeous.

"Hi." The greeting came out in a breathless whisper, and her eyes connected with pools of hazel.

"Hi." Quinn whispered in response.

"Hi!" Brittany-who was standing beside Quinn with Santana on her other side-excitedly said. "I'm Brittany."

Sean smirked the minute his eyes landed on the bubbly blonde. "I'm Sean but you probably already knew that."

Santana glared at the heartthrob, "She's taken dickwad." The Latina pulled her girlfriend closer and rested her arm around the dancer's waist.

Rachel released a chuckle because she always got a kick out of Sean being humiliated. Sean shrugged it off and glanced at Quinn who he thought was just as sexy, if not more so.

"This is Santana." Brittany kissed her girlfriend on the cheek, attempting to relax her.

"Yeah," Sean leaned forward in his set and raked his eyes over Quinn's form. "What about you? What's your name sexy?"

"As flattered as I am, it's not going to happen." Quinn smirked, "I mean for a guy you're attractive but unfortunately for you, I'm not into men."

Sean sighed and leaned back in his chair, "I hate the fact that all these girls are here to drool over you." He mumbled to Rachel as his pride became wounded.

"Don't mind him" the diva said softly, "did you like the concert?"

"I did, you're great live." Quinn couldn't help but stare at the famous singer since her attention had been shifted back onto her.

"Thank you, would you like an autograph?"

Quinn nodded, "please." She sent Rachel a shy smile and suddenly her cheeks felt as if they were on fire. She was meeting not only her favorite singer but her first and only celebrity crush. The cheerleader barely got nervous but when she did she felt as if everyone was staring at her and that she was about to embarrass herself.

"I hate to sound like a broken record but what's your name?" Rachel asked, wanting to personalize the autograph.

"Quinn."

Rachel's head snapped up from the picture and her eyes locked onto Quinn's. Skysplits popped into her mind the moment she heard the blonde utter that name and she couldn't help but wonder. She knew it was unlikely and that she was probably dreaming but she couldn't stop herself from wondering. "Quinn..." Rachel softly whispered, "Beautiful name."

The cheerleader blushed and ducked her head, Santana rolled her eyes at her best friends reaction. She didn't understand what hold Rachel Berry had on her best friend but whatever the hold was she knew it worsened once they had begun talking on twitter.

"Here you go." Rachel handed Quinn the autographed picture and felt a spark jolt through her as their fingers brushed.

"Thank you."

"Can we get a picture?" Brittany had been full of excitement and it continued to show in every question and every movement.

"Of course."

...

Rachel yawned as she rested her head against the back of her seat. It had felt nice for her to finally be in her limo and on her way home, regardless of the fact that she hated where her new home was. Shelby had taken care of everything while Rachel had been on tour and according to her mom the only thing the diva needed to do was rearrange her bedroom to her liking. She hadn't seen the house yet, the brunette never had the time to inspect it, help pick one out, or even decide how some aspects of it should look. The most she had gotten were pictures of it and her mom showed her around via Skype but to Rachel it wasn't the same. Shelby hadn't splurged on a house, the older diva didn't see the point seen as they were returning to California in a year. Instead she decided to rent one. It was large and happened to be located in one of the most richest neighbour hoods in Lima; Rachel never cared about that detail much. All she cared about was going back home.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, allowing them to rest. The diva had been working hard and practically nonstop since the previous summer; a part of her wanted to keep going but the rest of her wanted to fall into her bed and sleep for a very long time.

Rachel had said goodbye to Dani and the three boys before she had gotten into the limo and she dreaded being in Lima without them. She also didn't like the idea of being without Kurt until he was needed, it was nerve wracking and she had gotten use to them always being there. She knew Lima was going to be lonely and she knew it would be hard to make friends especially with who she was. Everyone would want to know her, befriend her, date her, she had seen it all before.

Her cell phone began to ring and she groaned out in annoyance. All she wanted was a little bit of rest. She loved performing but it was definitely tiring.

"Hello?" She greeted and put the call on speaker phone.

"Are you on your way home?" Shelby asked, concerned.

"Yes and it's not home."

"Well you could at least make it one while we're here."

"I don't see that happening anytime soon."

"Well you're normally a positive person so try not to be negative about this and find some good in it."

Rachel sighed, "I'll try." She wanted to but her disappointment about having to leave her real home got in the way.

"I'll see you when you get home."

Rachel furrowed her eyebrows and glanced at the time on her phone. It was already late at night or early in the morning depending on how certain people looked at it. The autograph session lasted a couple hours, and she was already running far off of her schedule. "You don't have to wait up for me mom. It's late you should get some sleep."

"I will when you get home, you know I worry."

"I know."

"I love you."

"I love you too mom." Rachel smiled. The brunette hung up the phone and released a yawn. As she looked down at her phone she noticed that there were multiple notifications and the curious bone within her decided to check them out. She glanced through her Facebook and her text messages which were from Kurt. She also looked through her email and then she came to twitter.

The brunette sighed as she clicked on the app. Her eyes traveled to the notification section which had a blue dot beside it, alerting her to it. Rachel clicked on it and her eyes traveled through many tweets about her concert and as she continued to read them her breath caught.

**Q ** Skysplits:  
_Just saw OfficialRachelBerry in concert. The concert was better than I thought possible and I was lucky enough to get myself an autograph. Btw she's definitely more beautiful in person.  
_  
Rachel's cheeks heated up as a small blush filled them. The diva bit her bottom lip, opened their message thread and replied; she knew that getting a reply at 2 in the morning was unlikely but she had to respond regardless and could only hope her phone would chime.

_** OfficialRachelBerry: **__Did we meet?_

Rachel swallowed thickly and thought back to the concert. Her mind focused on the girl with the breathtaking hazel eyes and a name that was so beautiful and unique that it had made her think of Skysplits. The other thing both women had in common were their blonde hair and as Rachel sat there and scrutinized everything, she was convinced that she most likely met her online crush in person. A part of her was sure the pieces fit but the other part who had gotten her heart broken before didn't want to get her hopes up.

_** Skysplits:**__ Briefly..._

_** Skysplits:**__ You have one of my bras. _

Rachel took in a deep breath and glanced at the duffel bag beside her where the bra was located. She normally didn't keep them because she always thought doing so was creepy and every time Sean put another one in the box he had under his bed she cringed but for her that time was different. Her mind went back to the hazel eyes and she bit her bottom lip in contemplation as she continued to think about the connection. She allowed her eyes to close as she gathered her thoughts and pushed down the shock that coursed through her. Her tired mind and the exhaustion from the busy schedule and constant work she had been doing took its toll. She began to drift off into sleep as the limo continued to make the small commute to Lima, Ohio.

* * *

**Note:** _I actually liked the character of Dani from season 5 so I decided to include her in some aspect of the story. :) Hope you liked the chapter, it was another one with some time skips, but soon it will all be laid out to begin their story._

**Songs:** _Wasting All These Tears on You By Cassadee Pope, Ordinary Girl by Miley Cyrus (What? I like the song...), And Battlefield by Lea Michele. Mentions of Roar by Katy Perry._


	3. Chapter 2

_**Note: **All mistakes are mine and I apologize in advance._

* * *

_**Chapter Two**_

Quinn released a groan as she shifted on the couch in her living room. The blonde was curled up on her side with her kitten cuddled up against her stomach which prevented her from acquiring a comfortable position. Despite the dreadful couch that provided nothing but a back ache if it were to be slept on and her orange kitten-named Ginger-taking up some of the small space the girl was fast asleep. Once they had gotten home all three girl's had been too wired to go to sleep so they decided to grab some junk food and gather around the television to watch a movie. Unfortunately for Quinn she passed out around the middle of the movie after her adrenaline had faded, along with the bowl of popcorn. Santana hadn't been much better. To Brittany's disappointment the Latina had fallen into a peaceful slumber not long after Quinn and the dancer had felt a little sad that she was the only one awake. Her hyperactive personality mixed with her adrenaline, which never quite left her system, caused her to be wide awake.

Brittany was curled up on one end of the love seat and Santana was on the other end with her legs sprawled out across the taller blonde's legs. The movie had finished a while ago and Brittany was occupying her busy brain with Looney Tunes which was playing on a retro channel that she had come across while attempting to find something to watch. A soft giggle escaped her because she couldn't help but laugh at Tweety, the character she enjoyed the most.

Suddenly a bright light shone into the living room window casing both sleeping girls to groan and shift. As for Brittany, curiosity took over. The blinds had been raised slightly and the white curtains were pulled back so that the window could let air in properly. Quinn had opened the large, living room window a crack to let some summer air fill the house because she needed it after the concert and the adrenaline rush. The two girls had fallen asleep before it could be taken care of and Brittany, well she had no idea how to work the head cheerleader's window or blinds; she had only managed to master her own.

The bubbly blonde managed to gently raise Santana's feet off of her without waking her and she strode toward the window, wondering who the bright headlight's belonged to. Her blue eyes landed on the limo that was parked across the street, with the lights still on. Her brows knitted together as she tried to figure out who it could be. The house across from Quinn had been on sale before Judy had taken them away for most of the summer and since they weren't there they never figured out who bought it. Brittany wondered who would move in the minute the for sale/rent sign was placed in the elderly couples' front lawn. She had told Quinn that she hoped it was someone they could befriend, or a family who had lots of animals she could play with.

The couple who wanted to sell had known Quinn since she was a baby and therefore wound up getting to know Brittany and Santana fairly well. They had a dog that Brittany always got to play with growing up and the bubbly blonde always loved going over for lemonade when the couple saw them playing outside and told them to come over and get refreshed. When they announced they were moving the bubbly blonde had been sad but she understood that the couple needed a smaller place because they were getting too old to maintain their large house.

The lights on the limo still continued to light up the driveway and her curiosity doubled when she saw that the back door was opening and a teenage girl was slowly making her way out of the vehicle. A big burly man exited from the limo next and the cheerleader grew more curious as they stood and talked for a few moments. The man maneuvered his way to the trunk of the limo and pulled out some luggage as the other party turned around, her back no longer in Brittany's direction. Blue eyes widened as she noticed who the girl was and before the blonde could control herself she was bounding out the door to say hi.

Rachel sighed as she looked at the street they temporarily lived on. They had negotiated with the home owners to rent out the house for the year, they had agreed because they still received a large payment from the famous family. The singers' eyes widened as she saw a girl bouncing towards her and before she knew it she was wrapped up in the other person's arms. The brunette wasn't scared of the girl because she recognized the face, however the name seemed to have slipped her mind but she remembered that she met the girl briefly at the concert.

The man who had been pulling the bags out of the trunk was by the singer's side in an instant, but she was quick to tell him it was okay. He nodded but remained glued to his post with his arms crossed against his chest.

"Hi!" Brittany said as she let go of the other girl. "Do you remember me? I'm Brittany we met at the concert."

Rachel smiled softly, "Right, how could I forget?"

Brittany shrugged and smiled at the brunette. "If you hit your head, you could have forgotten?" The blonde asked, her brows furrowed a little as she tried to come up with the best answer to the question, not realizing that the question at hand had been rhetorical.

"I suppose that would definitely cause memory loss." Rachel tiredly whispered with a small smile pulling at her lips. "So, are you one of my neighbors?"

Brittany giggled and shook her head, "No, that's Quinn's house." The blonde pointed to the home across the street. "I just hang out there a lot."

Rachel blinked a few times before pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. She bit it softly as she remembered the stunning blonde from the concert. As her mind took her back to the girl that she considered to be a possible suspect in the Skysplits search, she remembered that Brittany was one of the friends that Quinn had been with that evening.

"You met her at the concert too!" Brittany added, after pausing for a quick thought.

"I remember." Rachel smiled as Quinn's gorgeous smile and electrifying hazel eyes entered her mind. "I'll have to stop by and say hello sometime." The brunette glanced at her security guard who was still by her side. "Chris, I think I'm okay here."

He eyed Brittany suspiciously, "You sure?"

The singer nodded and with that he went back to dealing with her bags, beginning to carry some inside.

"Oh!" Brittany began in a loud, excited tone causing the tired star to jump a little. "Quinn's having a end of the summer pool party tomorrow. I mean it's just for the people in glee club but I don't think she'd care if you came."

"Well, I'd love to come if she would be okay with it."

Brittany nodded rapidly, "She would, I know it." The bubbly blonde shifted from foot to foot and smiled at the superstar. "There's also gonna be a barbeque."

"It sounds great." Rachel whispered and smiled lazily at the blonde. She really needed to get some sleep, or she wouldn't be getting out of bed the next morning let alone attending a pool party. "I should get some sleep, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, Goodnight Rachel." Brittany wrapped her arms around the brunette in a comforting hug before departing.

...

Rachel groaned as she shuffled through another box attempting to locate her swim suit. Her room looked like a war zone, boxes everywhere along with the contents of the boxes scattered around the floor. She had already been through three boxes of clothes and she knew for certain that she hadn't packed her bathing suit in one of her suitcases, although the more she searched for it the more unsure she had become.

"You're making a mess." Shelby said softly as she stood in the brunette's doorway. Her mother had already been unpacked and settled in for a little bit and she found herself being jealous of that. School started soon and she had a few days to unpack and get her room organized and in order. She knew she'd be at it longer than that she just hoped nobody had to see it in the mean time. The most her mother had done was place the bed and the furniture that was needed, the most Rachel had to do with that was rearrange it.

"I'm trying to find my swimsuit." Rachel mumbled as she leaned her butt on her heels, her knees still leaning lightly on the floor.

"Did you check your suitcases from the tour, I'm sure you used it somewhere along the way."

Rachel furrowed her brow, "I'm pretty certain it's not in one." The singer sighed and shifted toward her suitcases anyway. She stood up and carried one of them to her bed, placing it onto the soft surface. She began to dig through it and sighed when she had no luck in located it. It didn't take her long to push the now empty suitcase-the clothes that were in it all over the floor-off of the bed and replace it with a full one. The diva dug through that one quickly and her eyes lit up when she pulled out her black bikini.

"Found it!" Her mom shook her head and smiled at her daughter. The young diva walked towards the door and put her hand on the doorknob, "If you'll excuse me I need to get ready for Quinn's pool party." The door shut in Shelby's face and the older brunette scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion.

"Wait, who is Quinn and when were you going to mention that you were attending a pool party?" She said loudly so it would carry through the closed door.

"She's a girl I met during my tour, who also happens to live across the street. I got invited to the party last night." Rachel tied the string from her bikini top around her neck, "I forgot to tell you." She added.

...

Rachel bit her lip as she stood on Quinn's porch with an outstretched finger, too nervous to ring the doorbell. She took in a deep breath before her finger pressed against the small white button. Anxiously she waited for someone to answer the door and her stomach clenched with nerves as she heard footsteps approach the door. The black bikini she had retrieved earlier graced her body. The top hugged her perfectly and the strap fastened around her neck. Due to the way it was designed, it showed a fair amount of cleavage but kept the risk of her breasts falling out low. Her bottom was simple, it covered the important areas but shaped her ass nicely and would give anyone who looked a nice view. However, as she stood on the porch, her towel was wrapped around her bottom half because although she was a superstar she was still a little self conscious about her body and standing on someone's porch half naked wasn't her ideal situation. Her being modest however usually got her points with the parents of her young fans and even fans her own age respected that Rachel didn't show up half naked to events, or bare way too much in a photo shoot. Sure she played the sexy role in magazines, but she never went too far or showed off more than she thought was needed. The most she had done that was remotely revealing was an ad campaign for Kurt's clothing line where she had modeled his summer line, which was full of bikini's.

The door shifted as someone on the other end opened it.

"Hello." Judy said softly as her eyes widened due to who she was greeted with.

"Hi," Rachel outstretched her hand. "I'm Rachel."

Judy took the girl's hand and shook it, shocked that Rachel introduced herself instead of assuming Judy would know it. However, Rachel had remembered seeing Judy's face at the concert but she still wanted to be polite instead of cocky.

"Brittany invited me." Rachel said sheepishly.

"Oh, well come on in." Judy managed to pull herself together.

Rachel was lead inside the house and the brunette looked around, her eyes landing on some pictures that were hung up in the foyer. There weren't many and most of them were positioned near the stairs but Rachel spotted what some of them looked like and she smiled brightly when she noticed a picture of two small girls. One was a little smaller than the other but they were both blonde and looked scarily similar. Rachel briefly wondered if Quinn had a sister because she assumed one of them was the girl she had met at the concert. Judy continued to lead her through the house and the superstar found herself being led through the living room where more pictures were gracing the walls; picture's also sat atop the fireplace mantel as well. Her chestnut orbs landed on a picture of an older blonde in a graduation outfit with her arm around a younger Quinn, or so she assumed it was Quinn. Judging by the appearance of the girl, it seemed to be her. Rachel couldn't help but think that she didn't change much, the most Quinn had done was become more beautiful with age.

They continued to walk through the large house until they were in the kitchen which was the room closest to the backyard. "Here we are." Judy smiled at the brunette and then opened the sliding door for her which led to a large, fancy patio. The diva walked out of the door but stayed close to it remaining unnoticed.

She took in the huge pool with an adjoining hot tub which took up a nice chunk of the backyard. There was a lot of areas of grass and the patio-which led to the pool-also had white beach chairs, a barbeque and a set of patio furniture which considered of nice chairs with cushions and a table with an umbrella in the middle of it to block the sun. The brunette scanned over the people who were there, most of them were playing in the pool with a beach ball while one of the boys and a girl were relaxing in the shallow end and sharing kisses occasionally. The rest of them were relaxing on the patio with their legs in the water talking. Her eyes settled on a blonde who was resting against the side of the pool, her attention trained on the beach ball game that was going on. Her heart picked up in speed as she saw how beautiful the girl was. She felt the same way when she saw Quinn at the concert but in that moment the blonde looked even more breath taking. Her wet hair was balancing on her shoulders and Rachel thought the short yet elegant hairdo that she saw for the first time the night before, suited her well. It made Quinn sexier. Rachel continued to watch her and she heard the girl laugh loudly at a boy with shaggy blonde hair that another boy with a mohawk dunked under water. She thought the laugh was music to her ears and truly a magnificent sound. Her chestnut orbs shifted down to the beautiful sight that her bikini provided. The blonde was wearing a blue bikini and it hugged her chest perfectly. The singer bit her bottom lip as her eyes explored he cleavage that she could see despite the distance between them.

"You came!" Brittany said from the pool as she noticed Rachel. The other guests turned to look at the person the bubbly blonde was talking to. They all had their own version of a freak out. Many of them stood in shock which was followed by fan girl/fan boy tendencies, a few of them uttered 'oh my god's and one of the girl's stated that the unexpected guest was Rachel Berry and proceeded to freak out in the pool.

Rachel smiled brightly at Brittany and blushed because nobody had known she was going to show up. It seemed that Brittany hadn't informed anyone after she had invited her but the brunette shrugged it off.

"I told you I'd be here." Rachel smiled again, "I wouldn't have missed it."

Brittany bounced on her heels and pulled the singer into a quick embrace. "You're like the nicest famous person ever."

A small blush dusted her cheeks. "Thanks?"

Rachel could feel everyone's eyes as they continued to stare and she shifted uncomfortably under their gaze. She glanced out at the pool again and caught the eyes of Quinn, who was looking at her in shock. Rachel sent the girl a smile and a small wave.

The blonde swallowed thickly and waved in response. Quinn was completely astounded that Rachel was at her pool party, in the backyard of her own home. Like most fans she always wondered what it would be like to befriend the brunette or be able to hang out with her but she never thought it would happen.

"I can't believe you got Rachel Berry to come to your pool party." Sam said, blinking a few times in a row to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Same." Puck's eyes traveled along the stars' form. "She's definitely hot." Lauren who was close by raised her eyebrow, and gave him a stern look. Puck bowed his head and whispered a small sorry to his girlfriend, which caused most of the other boys to make a whipping noise. Most people were shocked that Lauren Zizes had trained Noah Puckerman.

Finn smiled his dopey grin and pulled his girlfriend Emily close. "She has a good voice."

His girlfriend was a Cheerio and although she never joined glee, she did almost everything with the group ever since the couple had begun dating in sophomore year, thanks to Quinn who introduced them because Emily was too shy to talk to him herself. The cheerio tucked some of her brown hair behind her ear and placed a small kiss on Finn's cheek, grateful that her boyfriend wasn't checking out the famous singer.

"I can't believe we've met four times, we are practically friends now." Brittany said, stealing the diva's attention.

"Four times?" Rachel's forehead scrunched up in confusion.

"Once on twitter, Once at the concert, then once last night and now today." The blonde smiled with excitement. "The first time we met I had asked you a question about ducks!"

Rachel smiled because she remembered the conversation, only because Skysplits had gotten involved in it. It had been obvious that day that Iisunicorn-who she now knew was Brittany-was friends with Skysplits judging by the way Brittany ended the conversation by telling Skysplits that she needed to get off of twitter and pick her up so they could go to Toys R Us and find a purple duck.

Rachel chuckled at the memory and looked into Brittany's big blue eyes. "You're Iisunicorn right?"

"Yup!"

"Brittany," Rachel began, the want to know taking control over her. "Can you tell me who Skysplits is?" She had her hunch and she tried not to think about it but now that Brittany was Iisunicorn it caused her to be even more skeptical.

The bubbly cheerleader giggled, "That's easy silly, It's Quinn." Brittany pointed to her, signalling her out for the singer.

Rachel's breath hitched because Quinn was gorgeous and she wondered if she would ever stand a chance with the girl sometime in the future seen as Rachel thought Quinn was out of her league. Those mesmerizing eyes she had and the adorable smile she donned and the musical laugh, She felt like it was all out of her reach. The diva shrugged her thoughts off once she forced herself to realize that she didn't even know Quinn outside of a screen and that she could begin by becoming her friend.

"Come on!" Brittany said as she pulled Rachel toward the pool. "Everyone this is Rachel." The bubbly girl looked at her friends and began pointing. "That's Tina and Mercedes." She began, pointing to the people Rachel had seen earlier sitting outside of the pool with their feet splashing around in the water. "That's Artie." Rachel continued to watch as she pointed to the boy sitting beside Mercedes, gripping the edge of the pool. Her eyes took in the wheelchair that was sitting beside him and knew why he seemed to be gripping the edge of the pool as he sat with his legs inside of it as well.

Next Brittany pointed to the people who had been playing with the beach ball earlier. "That's Puck and his girlfriend Lauren, Mike who's Tina's boyfriend, Blaine, Joe, Rory, Sugar and my girlfriend Santana who you met at the concert." Next Brittany pointed to the couple who she had seen kissing earlier on. "That's Finn and Emily." Her finger soon landed on Quinn who was still in the same spot she had been. "And obviously you know Quinn."

"Hello everybody." She said with a grin, deciding to greet them all in unison.

...

Brittany had dragged Rachel around for most of the afternoon. Where she was, the brunette was close behind. Santana seemed a little irritated at times but she also seemed happy to allow her girlfriend to get what she wanted. Rachel hadn't gotten the chance to say anything to Quinn because as soon as she'd start to make her way over to the other girl Brittany would ruin it, or one of Quinn's friends would pull her away, or start a water fight.

Rachel was currently nestled in the hot tub with Santana, Brittany and Sugar. She had already dubbed Sugar severely annoying but forced herself to put up with her, even though the girl insulted her music and movies on multiple occasions, and then blamed it on self diagnosed Aspergers. The diva's attention shifted to Quinn like it had done for most of the day and she could swear that her heart skipped a beat when she noticed that Quinn was climbing up the ladder to get out of the pool. Her throat tightened and she swallowed thickly as she watched the way Quinn's body moved and how the water dripped down her skin. Her eyes trailed over the blonde's ass and she bit her bottom lip as she enjoyed the view.

Rachel took in a deep breath and watched as Quinn wrapped her towel around her and disappeared inside the house. She finally hoped she may have a moment to talk to the other girl, so she took the opportunity and stood up and then stepped out of the hot tub. The brunette grabbed her towel off of the chair close by and wrapped it around herself, covering her whole bikini and tucking it in at the top.

Quinn furrowed her eyebrows in concentration as she pulled out some fruits and vegetables to cut up for a homemade tray, along with some fresh lettuce so she could make a homemade salad. When she saw that Rachel had arrived she was thankful that there would be some dishes she could eat, seen as she couldn't indulge in the burgers or hot dogs that would be made. It was common knowledge for most Rachel Berry fans that the star was a vegetarian.

Rachel smiled at the sight and swallowed thickly when she noticed that the blonde's towel now hung from her waist, showing off her beautiful upper body.

The diva nervously walked up to the other girl and took in a deep breath, "Hello Skysplits..." Rachel wasn't sure why she decided to greet her that way but a part of her wanted Quinn to know that she knew.

Quinn's head snapped to the other girl who was standing close by. Rachel smiled sheepishly and leaned her back against the counter, her chestnut orbs found a connection with the hazel eyes that were currently staring at her. The cheerleader was already trying to get over the shock of her favorite singer being at her party and now she had to deal with the shock that was caused by Rachel's words.

"W-what did you just call me?" Quinn said nervously as she sat the knife down on the cutting board. _How did she find out_?, the blonde wondered as she attempted not to meet the celebrity's eyes.

"Skysplits..." Rachel started with a soft tone, "that is who you are isn't it?...Well at least on Twitter."

Quinn took in a deep breath and chanced a look up at the diva. "How did you..."

"Brittany informed me." Rachel smiled at the blonde and Quinn nervously smiled back.

"Of course she did."

She was trying her best not to freak out at the fact that not only does Rachel know her online identity, she was also standing in her kitchen. The Cheerio tried not to put too much thought into the fame that Rachel held onto, she liked to think that the brunette was just an ordinary girl like her song stated and that it would be easy to hold a conversation with her. However, that didn't make her less nervous. She also didn't want to give Rachel the wrong idea, sure she always wanted to know the diva because she was a fan but she also thought Rachel would be a good friend to have-judging by what she had seen in the media-despite the fame and she never wanted the pop star to think that she would end up using her. Quinn had her own money and her own talent that she wanted to be known for, she didn't need the diva's riches or her fame, at least that was how she looked at it.

"I've got to say Quinn, it's nice to meet you and to finally put a face to your username."

"It's nice to meet you too." A pink tint filled Quinn's cheeks and she looked away to focus on the food she had to prepare.

Rachel couldn't help but think that Quinn was adorable. She held her smile and thought that maybe this was the moment that she could start becoming her friend. From what Rachel had seen of the house and the way Quinn acted around her she had a feeling that the blonde wouldn't want to get close to her just to use her. It was clear that Quinn was well off and that she may have been a fan, but she didn't seem like the other girls who tried to get their 15 minutes of fame. The cheerleader had actually talked to her without needing to be in the public eye to do so, so that the paparazzi could see and she didn't immediately call everyone she knew to alert them to Rachel's presence. It was nice for the superstar.

"Would you like some help?" Rachel asked politely.

"Sure."

Rachel nodded and shifted so she was closer to Quinn and facing the counter. The blonde handed the diva some apples and a peeler and the brunette quickly got to work.

"So now that I'm actually here in Lima and I know your secret identity," Rachel released a chuckle, "do you think we could get to know each other?"

"I guess that wouldn't be so bad." The corner of the blonde's lip pulled upwards into a smirk.

"Have you always lived in Lima?" Rachel asked as she cut up the carrots for the vegetable tray.

"Born and raised."

"What's it like here?"

"It sucks," The blonde took in a deep breath. "I can't wait to get out of here."

Rachel added the last of the carrots onto the vegetable tray finishing it off. The fruit tray had been completed earlier while they had spent most of their time in silence. Quinn, since she had recently finished preparing the salad pulled out the box of hamburgers and a package of hot dogs for the barbeque. Rachel watched as she formed another question for the cheerleader.

"Where to you want to go?"

Quinn bit her lip contemplating on whether or not to discuss this with Rachel. Sure on twitter they had discussed colleges and which ones Quinn may have wanted to go to but never in depth. They were small conversations that were easily wiped away and easy to form because she couldn't gage the diva's reaction; she couldn't see the judgement. Quinn hated opening up, especially about the smallest things when the person was new to her life and speaking about herself to Rachel seemed like foreign territory that she rarely crossed. Santana and Brittany had always known her the best and since they had grown up together it was never hard for Quinn to tell them what she was thinking or feeling. She and her mother also had a close relationship, they always had. Quinn was a mommy's girl growing up and when her father left them in his rear view mirror the day he walked out on them for another woman, she and her mother became even closer. Quinn was twelve when he decided to bail on them and that was the first time the blonde ever experience heartbreak. Her world crumbled around her and everything she knew was obliterated. The Christian man he claimed to be not only abandoned them but cheated on his wife and a twelve year old Quinn wasn't sure what to believe in afterwards, especially when her father who was about God, doing the right thing and perfection went against what he had taught them and what the bible had claimed. As the blonde aged she realized that she had beliefs, but she was more spiritual than purely Christian. She believed in God and still wore the small gold necklace with a cross pendant on it most days, but she didn't practice her religion as much. Instead she followed the beat of her own drum in that respect and was pretty open when it came to acceptance, and now that her sexuality was common knowledge to her mother, she never hid that either. Her mom was also very open as opposed to her dad and despite that she wished he hadn't left and sometime's missed him, she was grateful that she had her mom and that she was a lot more open minded than her father. Due to the pain that Russell caused, the blonde began to close up when it came to letting people in; she didn't want another person turning their back on her. It had taken the glee club a whole year before they truly got to know her and to that day she still keeps stuff hidden from them. Chelsea was someone she let in because she had fallen hard and once she gave the girl her heart it didn't take her overly long to crush it and diminish her trust. She was left wide open, vulnerable and severely broken. Her pain was still raw as well as the shattered heart.

The blonde ran her fingers through her short hair and took in a deep breath. Her mind was screaming at her to keep her mouth shut and change the subject but Rachel's soft brown eyes were looking at her with comfort and she wasn't quite sure what she felt in that moment but words soon escaped her mouth.

"California." Quinn grabbed the tray that held the burgers and glanced at the hot dogs. "Can you carry that...please."

Rachel nodded and picked up the bowl that held the hot dogs. "California is beautiful," Rachel said softly as she followed the girl outside and toward the barbeque. "Why California?"

"University." Quinn said simply as she readied her workstation, took the bowl from Rachel and prepared the cooking appliance.

"What University are you interested in attending?"

"UCLA." Quinn whispered before glancing up at the girl beside her. Their eyes met and Quinn felt as if she was drowning because Rachel's eyes seemed to pull her in. She quickly looked away and went back to paying attention to her task at hand.

"I've heard nothing but good things about UCLA Quinn, I don't think you will disappointed. What are you interested in studying?"

Quinn swallowed thickly and watched as the burgers slowly began to cook. She debated changing the subject before they got deeper into their conversation about her future but her words came out before she knew it. "They have a television & film program I'm interested in."

Rachel beamed, she did after all enjoy talking about the industry. "Are you interested in behind the scenes work like screen writing and directing or do you want to be in front of the camera?"

Quinn bit her bottom lip nervously. She was standing in her backyard having a conversation with Rachel Berry about doing a job that the girl was already famous for. On some level the blonde was a little in awe and she attempted to shake it off, but it was harder than it seemed.

"To be honest," Quinn began, "I'd love to do it all. I know that seems crazy but I enjoy writing and would love to create my own television series or movie one day. As for acting, it would be an interesting experience and I'd like to try it out."

Rachel smiled brightly and placed her hand softly on the other girl's shoulder. "If it's what you want, you should go for it. I always believed in following your dreams and some may say dreams in the entertainment industry are pointless but I beg to differ. It's a perfectly good career path, especially if you have a head on your shoulders and anyone who says otherwise has no idea what they're talking about." Rachel blushed once she realized she was beginning to ramble. She sheepishly looked down, her hand falling from the cheerleaders shoulder.

Quinn gave the starlet a soft smile, thinking that the girl before her was absolutely adorable.

* * *

**_Another Note:_ **_The Kitten that I had given Quinn represents my cat Ginger, who recently passed away from an illness. I miss him greatly, and despite the fact that he was a pet, he was my best friend. A best friend who I had since I was eight. I had never realized how hard loosing a pet was until quite recently and I wanted to carry on his memory. _

_Thank you for the Follows, Story Alerts and Reviews :)_


	4. Chapter 3

_**Note:**_ _Mistakes are mine, I apologize in advance._

* * *

_**Chapter Three**_

"Hello again." Rachel said as she swam up to Quinn who was sitting on the side of the pool, with her feet inside the water.

The day had passed quickly and night time had fallen upon them. Some of the glee club members had left and traveled back home but quite a few remained at the Fabray residence.

Santana and Brittany were relaxing in the hot tub together and Quinn could swear that at one point she had heard a moan escape from Brittany while walking by. Puck and Lauren had remained and were hanging around the pool with Finn and Emily. Sam and Mercedes stayed as well but had shifted to the grass to relax and cuddle up under the stars.

The blonde's hazel eyes shifted toward the brunette, who's chestnut orbs looked at her from the water.

"Hey." Quinn said softly.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Go ahead. I can't promise that I'll be a great source of entertainment though." Rachel chuckled at Quinn's words. The blonde smiled softly at the other girl and watched intently as Rachel pulled herself up out of the pool and sat down beside Quinn.

"Are you having fun?" Quinn asked as she looked out at the empty pool. Her attention was trained on the soft reflection of the moon that bounced off of the water. It was faint but the cheerleader still noticed it and thought it was gorgeous.

"I am," Rachel shifted her feet around in the water and caused the reflection to ripple. "Thank you for having me. I'm starting to think that maybe Lima won't be that bad of a place to stay for a while. After all I made quite a bit of friends today and I'll feel a little less lonely in this small town."

"No problem."

A thick smoke of silence surrounded them and although it wasn't awkward Rachel wasn't fond of it. She enjoyed silence on some occasions, as long as they were comfortable and the moment seemed to ask for it, but she felt the need to speak. It almost seemed as if Quinn's mind was hard at work and she wanted to get closer to her. She wanted to get to know her.

"So what's on your mind?" Rachel asked softly.

Quinn released a sigh, "Nothing."

The brunette furrowed her eyebrows and chanced a glance at the girl. She already knew that getting to know Quinn was going to be difficult but she was a hundred percent sure that it would be worth it. In the diva's opinion Quinn was a mystery but it was obvious that the girl was hurting, over what she wasn't sure but she yearned to know. When they had talked over twitter it even seemed that the girl was depressed and now it was a lot more obvious; Rachel had become the girl's friend the day she answered that twitter question and she felt like she needed to be there for her.

"Are you sure," the brunette began, treading on thin ice. She wasn't sure how the blonde would react to somebody who attempted to dig beneath the surface but she had to take a chance. "You seem upset."

"I'm just tired." Quinn whispered softly, her eyes still trained on the water before her.

"Ok." Rachel said softly. "I just want you to know that I'm here for you. Which means you can talk to me about anything."

"I'll keep that in mind." The blonde's attention finally shifted and she turned her head to glance at the other girl. "What about you? You left California to move to this stupid cow town, if I were you I'd be pissed off."

"I was at first but I'm actually glad I moved here. If I hadn't I wouldn't have met you." Rachel looked at the girl softly.

A pink tint dusted Quinn's cheeks and the blonde looked down, attempting to hide the sudden blush. Rachel smiled at her accomplishment; she had decided that making Quinn blush was a new favorite activity. The musician continued to study the girl before her and her breath caught in her throat when she saw the way Quinn's hazel eyes sparkled in the moonlight. The way the night sky was illuminated with stars and a full moon, it lit everything up and made the sparkle in the blonde's eyes more evident. Rachel couldn't help but think that Quinn was absolutely stunning.

"Looking forward to McKinley?" Quinn asked, attempting to change the topic. She had remembered hearing Rachel mention that she would be attending McKinley over supper when she had been talking to Emily and Finn.

"I'm not sure, I've never attended a public school before. To be honest I was content with the way things were." Rachel ran her fingers through her wet hair, attempting to untangle the knots.

"Nobody is a fan of change." Quinn mumbled, her voice was fairly monotone and Rachel couldn't help but revisit her previous wonder about what could be troubling the blonde. "But..." Quinn breathed out, "It's just something we have to deal with..."

"I always hated change growing up. I liked having things as they were and being an actress and a performer made that difficult. Traveling, new projects, new cast mates, new people, rocky friendships, heartbreaking relationships; there was always change around me." The brunette took in a deep breath and looked up at the moon. "I learned that change wasn't as bad as I thought, sometimes it led me to greater things. However, when it comes to attending public school I'm not sure the change will do me any good, especially after the stories Tina, Artie, Mercedes and Rory told me."

Quinn scoffed, "You'll be fine, nobody would think of throwing a slushy in your face." The blonde released a soft groan as she stretched out her legs in the pool. "To be honest, you could rule the school if you wanted to."

"I'm not really interested in that, I just think McKinley sounds like..." Rachel tried to find the right word. "Hell." She finished with a nod.

"It is, along with everything else in this town."

Rachel frowned, "You really don't like it here..."

"Never have." Quinn released a deep breath and looked over at the brunette. "One of my biggest fears is that I'll get stuck in this town and become a Lima loser with no real purpose."

"I'm sure you'll make it to California and live out your dreams."

"I hope so..." Quinn mumbled as she once again splashed her feet around in the pool.

"Quinn..." Rachel began, deciding to change the subject. "Brittany mentioned the party consisted of members from Glee club, what exactly is Glee Club?"

"We sing, dance...it's basically a place where we can let out our creative side." Quinn turned to look at the other girl. "We compete in competitions and we're hoping to win Nationals this year. Last year we came close but..." Quinn trailed off and looked away once again.

"So show choir?" Rachel asked, receiving a nod in return. The brunette was more familiar with the proper name; she had never heard it be referred to as Glee club, then again she had never had the opportunity for that. "How do you join?"

"You just have to audition for Mr. Schuster, and then you'll get in. He lets anybody join, even if they suck. Hence why Sugar made it."

Rachel's eyes widened, "I'm sure she's not that bad."

Quinn chuckled. "You've never heard her sing. She sounds like nails on a chalkboard."

"That bad?"

They both looked at each other and began to laugh, "Yes, ask her to perform for you, just make sure you have earplugs." Quinn said between the chuckles she released. Rachel's smile brightened as she heard the blonde's laugh, it warmed her and she knew she wouldn't mind hearing that musical sound more often.

...

Rachel groaned as she looked at her disorganized, unprepared and messy room. When she had gotten home from the pool party the previous night, it had been late and the brunette was exhausted. She hadn't accomplished anything when she returned, instead the singer had thrown everything off of her bed, dug out some pajamas in the mess she had made and crawled into bed for the night. When she had woken up, she had skipped her morning workout because Shelby had stored her equipment in the basement and it wasn't set up yet. In fact they were shoved behind a bunch of boxes that her mother had managed to neglect. Once she had showered and ate she returned to the room and the mess stared her in the face. She was miserable, the last thing she wanted to do was clean. She wasn't a messy person, in fact a lot of days she showered twice because she thought the world was a dirty place and most days she hated when her room was disorganized and unkempt, this was not one of those days. She was still extremely tired and her body wanted to crash from the busy tour she had just finished. Rachel hadn't fully relaxed and as she debated what to do with her room she glanced at her bed. It seemed inviting and somehow it called to her. The diva's feet began to shift on their own accord and as she traveled to the bed her foot suddenly hit a small box. It threw her balance for a loop and she felt her body fall forward. She tumbled and when she hit the ground she released a groan because all she could feel was the unexpected pain from the fall.

"I hate this place." She muttered as she slowly pulled herself up and back onto her feet.

She ignored the continuous call from her bed and began organizing the mess. Half of it was boxes and the other half was the clutter she had created when looking for a bathing suit. Once she began the job she had to do, it didn't take her long to get into a mood to straighten up the mess before her. She looked at the boxes and sighed. She hadn't brought every possession with her since they were going to return to their home in California in a year, yet there seemed to be a lot.

She began to open a box and as she started looking through it the sound of her phone filled her new bedroom. The diva rolled her eyes and went to retrieve her cell off of her night stand.

"Hello."

"Hey you," Sean's voice filled her ear. "How's the cow town?"

"It seems kind of boring, but then again I haven't had time to explore it. I just got here and I spent yesterday attending a pool party and making some friends. Today I have to organize my room, and on top of that school starts soon."

"Sucks for you. I spent yesterday in bed." Rachel could hear the smirk that was present in his voice. "But I wasn't alone."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "You are disgusting."

"You'll get it once you get laid." Sean smiled, "I have a feeling that you're gonna be one of those girls that once you get it, you'll want it as much as possible."

"Do you always have to be so crude?"

"You wouldn't have me any other way sexy."

Rachel rolled her eyes yet again and held the phone between her ear and shoulder as she went back to looking through the box she had been working on. "That's debatable." She mumbled.

"So, are there any hot girl's there?"

"Seriously?"

"What? I'm curious."

"Have you ever thought of therapy. You're obsessed with girls."

"I don't need therapy. I may love hot girls and getting laid but I'm not a sex addict if that's what you're trying to imply."

The superstar chuckled. She missed their pointless banter, even though the tour hadn't been over for long. "I miss you."

"Same, but I'm gonna visit at some point and you're coming back for the holiday's right?"

"I'm hoping, I'd rather spend the holidays there than here." Rachel released a deep breath. "However, even if I had to stay here it may not be too bad..." The brunette drifted into her mind for a moment as she thought about Quinn.

Sean furrowed his eyebrows in confusion on the other end of the line, "Wait...you lost me."

"I..." Rachel took in a deep breath, "I met someone."

Sean smirked, "Oh, there's a girl. Who is she?"

"Skysplits. It turns out that-"

"Not this again Rach..."

"Would you let me finish." She snapped, an irritated tone seeping into her voice. Sean remained silent because he always knew better than to fight with Rachel; the superstar could go for hours and she never gave up. "As I was saying, it turns out that Quinn, the girl I met at the concert ended up being Skysplits."

"Wait, your fucked up theory was right?"

"Yes." Rachel released a dreamy sigh. "Sean she's gorgeous and there is just something about her. There's a lot she's hiding behind her walls and I'd do anything to tear them down yet the mystery is a complete turn on."

"Wow, for once you didn't act like a prude."

Rachel rolled her eyes and ignored his comment. "Her eyes have me hypnotized, her smile can light up a room and her laugh, it's become my favorite song." Rachel took in a deep breath. "I want to know her even more...I want her to let me in."

"Patience, isn't that what you're always telling me." Sean cleared his throat and began to imitate her. "Sean you need to learn some patience."

"I do not sound like that! Also I am being patient. I don't care how long it takes I just hope I don't crash when I start to fall."

"Wait, how could you possibly know you're going to fall in love with this chick?"

"I just do."

* * *

**_Note:_** _Just a warning to the fabulous people reading this, their relationship will develop slowly. I don't want to rush anything, especially since Quinn is heartbroken so hopefully you stay with me on this long ride. I can however promise it'll be worth it, and there will be a lot of Faberry moments to quench your thirst. Once again, thank you for all the reviews, follows, and story alerts!  
_


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